Obituary of Ralph MacGuffage

Mr. Ralph S. MacGuffage, 96, of Cheshire passed away Friday May 15, 2009 at the Elim Park Baptist Home. He was the husband of the late Pauline (Jackson) MacGuffage. Mr. MacGuffage was born March 25, 1913 in Chicago, IL, son of the late George and Mae (Stokes) MacGuffage. He was employed at MIT Draper Laboratories retiring after many years of service. He was an active volunteer of the Protestant Guild for the Blind in Massachusetts and enjoyed entertaining at several nursing homes. He wrote many poems, short stories and songs, and was the editor for ten years of a resident newspaper called "By the Way" at Elim Park where he lived for the last 19 years. In 2006 he published a two-part book titled "The Case of the Ident Twins and Serendipity", a collection of short stories. He was a member of several church choirs including the Elim Park Community Choir, and sang solos and entertained at many resident functions at Elim Park Place and the Healthcare Center. He brought much happiness to others through the years. Mr. MacGuffage was a US Army veteran serving during WW II. He leaves his daughter Sandra and her husband the Rev. Dr. Glenn Havumaki of Wallingford, his grandchildren, Katrina Pandiscia and her husband David; Sten Havumaki, Erik Havumaki and his wife Kayla and his great grandchildren, Jacob, Julia and Benjamin Pandiscia. He was predeceased by his brothers Paul Stokes, Howard and Robert McGuffage and his granddaughter Kristen Havumaki. A graveside service for Mr. MacGuffage will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Cheshire Hillside Cemetery. Friends may call at the Slater Funeral Home 242 South Main Street in Cheshire on Wednesday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. A memorial service will be held at Elim Park Place in Nelson Hall, 150 Cook Hill Rd. on Sunday, May 31st at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Elim Park Baptist Home for additional new worship hymnals in Nelson Hall.