Darienite (https://darienite.com/category/obituaries/page/91)
Death notices for Darienites, immediate relatives and others of interest to town residents
Mary Anne (Whitlock) Murdock, 90, the wife of the late John S. Murdock Sr., died peacefully on Thursday May 18. She had lived in Darien for 50 years. She was born July 23, 1926 in Washington, D.C., to the late Francis B. and Virginia (Bennett) Whitlock. After graduating from Smith College, Mary Anne worked for Howdy Doody in New York City. In Darien, she was involved in the Junior League and St.
James G. “Jim” Baldwin of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. passed away May 30. He was 92. He was born March 17, 1925 in Seattle, Wash., the son of Harry G. Baldwin and Eleanor Ann Mullinex. Mr. Baldwin leaves his devoted and loving wife of 24 years, Sally Jayne Ferguson Baldwin.
Jean Olive Wallin Saunders, 89, of Anchorage, Alaska, peacefully joined the Lord Tuesday morning, May 23. Jean was born on Aug. 17, 1927, to Ernest and Frieda Wallin in Stamford. She grew up in Darien. Jean worked as an executive secretary, assistant to editors, and as office manager over a period of years.
Mr. Robert Evans Woods, a much loved and respected long-time resident of Darien, passed away peacefully on May 30. He was 96. Bob was born in Corning, N.Y. to Arthur and Eleanora Woods. He attended Bucknell prior to transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy, and then moved on to West Point. He was chosen to command the Corps of Cadets as first captain during his final year, and appeared on the cover of Time magazine as such in June 1945.
Langdon Payne Clarke, “Coach Lang” to many people, recently passed away on Martha’s Vineyard. He was 66. Formerly of Darien, Connecticut, Lang will be forever known for his involvement as co-founder of the Darien Youth Lacrosse Program. Whether it was handing out deli sandwiches to his volunteer coaches or driving around town in his Jeep with lacrosse sticks, Lang was on the playing fields all spring long sharing his love of lacrosse. Formerly an asset manager at Merrill Lynch and Trinal Investments, he was a board member at the Darien Depot Youth Center and CONNY Lacrosse and a member of the Tokeneke Club.
Walter Alan Murby died from a courageous battle with cancer May 20 at Moog & Friends Hospice House in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. He was born Oct. 13, 1937 in Port Alberni, British Columbia to Walter and Helen Murby. His only sibling, Robert, passed away in Hong Kong in 2004. His grandfather, Walter Murby, was the sheriff of Nottingham, England.
John Fleming Cagnina, formerly of Rowayton, passed away peacefully on May 13, 2017 in Westerly, R.I. after living happily for three years at StoneRidge, a retirement community in Mystic. He was two days shy of his 87th birthday. His death was a result of heart disease and dementia. A 44-year resident of Rowayton, John served as a Commissioner of the Sixth Taxing District and Chair of the Rowayton Civic Association. An enthusiastic skier and sailor, he was a founding member of the Rowayton Yacht Club at Hickory Bluff.
Michael Howard Savage, 78, passed away on Friday, May 12, surrounded by his family at his home in Darien. Michael was born in Bridgeport in 1938, son of the late Manuel and Lillian Savage. He grew up in Hollis Hills, N.Y.
Michael graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was a member of the swimming team and served as pianist for the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra. He also earned a master’s degree in guidance and education and a Ph.D. in educational administration from New York University.
Rene Eugene Menzel, Age 97 of Williamsburg, Va. and formerly Darien, died peacefully on May 10. After fleeing Europe with his family at the start of World War II, Menzel fought behind enemy lines, then in D-Day invasion, and then sometimes found himself behind enemy lines again. The much-decorated veteran later lived in Darien for two decades, serving on the Planning & Zoning Commission as its chairman. He was born on Nov.
Robert “Bob” Michael Heslin, husband of Elizabeth (Spada) Heslin, passed away unexpectedly and suddenly on May 12. He was the son of James & Louise Heslin. Bob was a veteran of the Vietnam war. He worked for Aetna Health Plans for 27 years, and retired in 1996 as vice president. After his retirement, he and Beth became the owner/operators of Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems of Southern, Conn.
John D. (Jack) Collins, age 78, devoted and beloved father, grandfather, brother and uncle passed away in Naples, Fl. on May 10. A former longtime resident of New Canaan and a 16 year resident of Naples, Jack was born on Aug 31, 1938 in Syracuse, N.Y. to the late Bill and Kate Collins. He was the second child in a family of 15 children. He was a graduate of Le Moyne College where he received a bachelor of business arts degree in 1960 and pursued a career in accounting.
Margaret Bestercy, age 100, a lifelong resident of Stamford and a former 10 year resident of Darien, passed peacefully on Wednesday, May 3 at The Villa at Stamford nursing home (formerly The Smith House). She was the daughter of the late John Bestercy and Mary Zamba. Margaret worked at Yale and Town with her identical twin sister Anna who passed away in 1952. They were inseparable and were usually seen walking back and forth to work from Myrtle Avenue. In her younger years, Margaret was a trophy-winning bowler.
Laura Rich Rowland, a resident of Darien, passed away peacefully beside her loving family on Wednesday, May 10. She was 65. She was born in Stamford on June 11, 1951 to Frank Dominic Rich Jr. and Jean Annabelle Rich Hopkins. Laura attended Wells College in Aurora, N.Y. She was employed as an administrator for SNET and Northeastern Mutual. Laura’s most recent employment was as an office administrator for Dr. Steven Rothenberg in Darien. Laura’s greatest happiness came from spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren, and with her wonderful extended family.
Kevin Joseph Cassidy of Darien went peacefully home to God surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday morning, May 10, after a long and bravely fought battle with lung cancer. Kevin was the devoted husband of Jacqueline Sinon Cassidy for 25 years and the loving father of his sons Kevin, Michael, and Brendan, and beloved daughter, Colleen. Born on Oct. 1, 1956, to Eleanor and Joseph Cassidy in Red Bank, N.J., Kevin grew up on the Jersey Shore with his two brothers Padraic and Brendan and his sister Kathleen. It was there that he developed his love of family, his great capacity for friendship, and his love of the ocean.
Maura Bridget Gallagher died on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 in Stamford. She was 38. She and her fiancé Max Di Dodo resided in New Canaan for the last four years. Maura and Max welcomed two beautiful children, Thomas Walter and Lyla Maura into the world on Monday, May 8. More than anything, Maura wanted to be a mother.