Obituaries

Catherine Oberle, 72, Kindergarten ‘Teddy Bear Teacher’, 34 Years at Tokeneke School

Patricia Whelpley Barton, 67, Grew Up in Darien, Mother, Chef, Lover of Books & Nature

Marilyn Harmonay, 82, Resident at Atria Darien

Steven K. Palmer, 60, Executive in Real Estate Companies, Served on DHS Building Committee

Dora Mix, 95, Born in Darien, a Nurse and Mother

Frances Travis, 97, Editor Who, in Her 70s, Became an Author

Annebet Van Munching, 26, DHS Class of ’09, Photographer and Ceramics Artist

Audreta Brush, 93, DHS Class of ’42, Avid Gardener, Cook, Second ‘Mother’ to Neighborhood Kids

Richard Artis, 96, Executive for Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Active in Noroton Presbyterian Church

Alice Schweitzer, 89, Professional Singer, Longtime Darien Resident

Rose Geruso, 87, Health Aide, Active in Church Groups and at Darien Senior Center

Joseph Costello, 58, Helped Evacuate Co-workers on 9/11, Husband of ‘Everything Is Rosey’ Owner

Frederick Santarella, 73, Longtime Darien Resident, Coached Baseball & Basketball, Played Softball

Audrey Murray, 83, Sports Fan, Hospital Volunteer

Daniel Cooney, 92, Noroton Yacht Club Member, Securities Firm Executive

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 29, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 28, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 24, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 22, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 19, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 18, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 11, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 8, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 7, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 6, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 5, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 5, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 3, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | July 2, 2017

Obituaries

By David Gurliacci | June 30, 2017

Death notices for Darienites, immediate relatives and others of interest to town residents

Catherine “Cathy” Oberle, 72, of Rowayton died at her longtime home on Friday, July 28 after a long illness. A resident of Rowayton since 1967, Cathy was born on Nov. 4, 1944 in Babylon, N.Y. She attended The Academy of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and graduated from Western Connecticut State University. Cathy was a kindergarten teacher at Tokeneke School in Darien for 34 years. She taught more than 1,000 students and had multiple generations of her pupils.

We are shocked and saddened to announce the unexpected passing of Pat Barton, age 67, a resident of Bolinas, Ca. on July 17 due to a pulmonary embolism. She was born in Stamford to Gordon Brittain Whelpley and Emilie Iselin Whelpley. She is survived by her husband, William G. Barton, their two sons, Will and Sam, and siblings Katharine Draper, Anne Shaw, and Gordon Whelpley. Born on March 16, 1950 in Stamford, Pat grew up in Darien.

Marilyn Ann Harmonay, 82, passed away on July 18, surrounded by her friends and family. Marilyn was born to the late Daniel and Jean Hagan on May 12, 1935 in Yonkers, N.Y. She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Yonkers and from Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School. Marilyn married Richard M. Harmonay in 1956, and they lived together in Hartsdale, N.Y. before relocating to Greenwich in 1964. In 2014, she moved to Atria Darien, where she was socially active and made many new friends. Marilyn was a beloved wife and devoted mother.

Steven Kennell Palmer, 60, passed away on July 11, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Hartford on Aug. 7, 1956, he was the son of the late Doris Kennell Palmer and Stuart Wilson Palmer. He was predeceased by a sister, Nancy P. Banks, and an uncle, Dr. John Kennell. Steve was raised in West Hartford and was a member of Boy Scout Troop 163, where he earned his Eagle Scout Badge.

Dora Mary Billingham Mix passed away peacefully on July 14 in Sarasota, Fl., one month before her 96th birthday. Born Aug. 12, 1921 in Darien, she was the daughter of the late Raymond M. and Maude G. Billingham. Dora graduated from Stamford High School in 1939, and from the Greenwich Hospital School of Nursing in 1942. She married Ralph Thresher Mix and together they raised four children.

Frances Chandler Travis, 97, of Darien and Vero Beach, Fl., died on July 6 (the birthday of her daughter, Deborah Martin Travis). Born in Chicago on July 1, 1920, she was the daughter of Milton Evans Chandler and Marion Maus Chandler, and the older sister of James M. and Carol Chandler Rowland. She grew up in Indiana and Birmingham, Mich., attended Stoneleigh College in Rye, N.H., then moved to Buffalo with her sister Carol, where she was employed as an advertising director for a large local department store. She then moved to New York City, where she worked in advertising for Burlington Industries in an office on the 4th floor of the Empire State Building. She met and eventually married Charles “Bud” Merwin Travis on Nov.

Annebet Van Munching obituary thumbnail 07-11-17

Annebet Van Munching of Darien passed away on Wednesday July 5. She was 26 years old. Born in Norwalk and raised in Darien, Annebet graduated from Darien High School in 2009. She went on to receive a degree in fine arts from Regis University in Denver. A talented photographer and ceramics artist, Annebet was an aspiring creative mind.

A longtime resident of Rutland, Audreta “Joyce” (Trefry) Brush, 93, died June 19 in her home, accompanied by family, as was her fervent wish. Joyce was born July 4, 1923, in Milford, the daughter of Homer H. and Vivian Audreta (Griswold) Trefry. She graduated from Darien High School in 1942, where she was a member of the a capella vocal ensemble, and appeared as a thespian in her junior and senior plays. Joyce dearly loved singing, acting and theatre, and was voted “Class Talker,” “Class Singer” and “Class Clown.” She studied drama as a member of the “Carolina Players” at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked briefly for the FBI, cataloging fingerprints of soldiers. She moved to Vermont with her family during World War II, settling in East Dorset.

Richard W. Artis, a resident of Darien since 1964, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, July 4. He was 96. Born in Bethlehem, Pa., he was the son of the late Alfred and Ruth Forker Artis. In high school he had his own licensed ham radio station and confesses to being the nuisance who caused interference in the neighbors’ reception of “The Green Hornet,” “Amos and Andy” and other nightly radio broadcasts of the 1930s. He was an infantry officer in World War II, serving 3 ½ years, and took part in the Allied liberation and occupation of Italy.

Alice W. Schweitzer, 89, a resident of Darien for 47 years, died peacefully in Stamford Hospital on July 2, after a brief illness. During her final hours the beloved matriarch was surrounded by the members of her family, and retained her famous sense of humor to the very end. Alice was born in Youngstown, Ohio, the daughter of Judge Clifford M. Woodside and Effie (Bloom) Woodside. Alice had a lifelong love of music. When she was just 16 years old, she played saxophone in a male professional swing band at the Blue Moon Ballroom in Tucson, Arizona, replacing the young men serving in the Second World War.

Rose Theresa Geruso, 87, a former longtime resident of Darien, died peacefully in her sleep on June 24, 2017 at Sunrise Senior Living in Valencia, Calif. She is predeceased by her parents, Frank and Antoinette Colella, her late husband of 49 years, Carmine (Jerry) Geruso, her son-in-law, Peter G. Callaghan, a sister and three brothers. She is survived by her four children, Patti Casey and her husband Sean Casey of Virginia, Barbara Callaghan of Darien, Steven Geruso and Claudia Scarpone of Stamford, John Reid and Peter Pierce of Valencia; a grandson, Sean P. Casey and his wife, Elizabeth Hernandez-Casey, and great-grandson, Carmine Casey-Hernandez of East Orange, N.J.; as well as beloved sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces and nephews. __________

— an obituary from Edward Lawrence Funeral Home

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Rose was a long-time member and officer of the Catholic Daughters of America. She later became a health aide, where she touched the lives of countless local residents with her contagious smile and tireless compassion.

Joseph Costello obituary thumbnail 07-05-17

Joseph Eugene Costello, of Darien passed away on Sunday, June 25. He was 58. Joe was born on July 9, 1958 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City, where coincidentally, Rosey, his wife of almost 25 years was born 18 months prior. The two shared a running joke that Rosey left a note for Joe in his hospital bassinet saying, “Call me when you grow up.”

Joe and Rosey had their official first date on Oct.

Frederick J Santarella, 73, a longtime resident of Darien and a native of Norwalk passed away on June 30. He was born March 24, 1944 to Carmine and Mary (LaMalfa) Santarella. Fred graduated from Norwalk High School in 1962 where he was a member of the baseball team and captain of the basketball team. He then earned a B.A. in English from the University of Hartford. Fred married Linda Saverine on Oct.

Audrey Murray passed away peacefully at Norwalk Hospital on June 27. She was 83. Born in New York City on April 29, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Francis B. and Audrey P. Murray. Audrey lived more than 75 years in Pelham, N.Y. before moving to Darien to be closer to family. ____________

— an obituary from Edward Lawrence Funeral Home

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She graduated from Pelham High School and Briarcliff College.

« August 2022 »

Daniel Russell Cooney, 92, of Darien and Waldoboro, Maine, died on June 24. Born in Brooklyn on Dec. 12, 1924, he was the son of Mae Bossert and Russell S. Cooney. He grew up in Plandome, Long Island and in Waldoboro, attended Exeter Academy, and served in the U.S. Army in World War II in the European Theater. After the war, he entered Yale University and graduated in 1950.