Obituaries

Obituaries

Joan Isabel, 76, Volunteer, Former Darien Resident, NYC Official

By David Gurliacci | March 26, 2016

Joan Pelletier Isabel, originally of Concord, NH, passed away peacefully at home at Governor’s Club in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Friday, March 18. Joan leaves behind her husband of 54 years, Richard Isabel; two children, Mark Isabel of Providence, R.I. and Margo Isabel of South Riding, Va.; and three grandsons, Charles Manosalvas of Fairfax, Va. and his wife Brittany, Ricardo Manosalvas of South Riding, N.H., and Daniel Isabel of Providence, R.I.

Born Jan. 9, 1940, Joan graduated from Phillips Academy in 1957. She received her BA degree from Denison University, Granville, Ohio in 1961.

Obituaries

James Peterson, 59, Co-Designer and President of Stor-A-Dor

By David Gurliacci | March 24, 2016

James Albert Peterson of Darien died peacefully on March 18 with his loving wife Doreen by his side. He was born Nov. 6, 1956, graduated from J.M. Wright Technical High School and attended Norwalk Community College. After marrying Doreen DeRosa on July 8, 1989 they resided in Wilton and more recently in Cape Coral, Fla. Jim was co-designer and president of Stor-A-Dor.

Obituaries

Thomas Moseley, 58, Consultant for Restaurant Corporations, Grew Up in Darien

By David Gurliacci | March 22, 2016

Thomas Clark Moseley Jr., 58, of Weston, Mass. died suddenly on March 16, 2016 while traveling for business in Saudi Arabia. He was raised in Darien. He was founder and president of The Moseley Group, a strategy and design consultancy to the global multi unit restaurant industry. His contributions to the food service industry have been transformative and continue to fuel the way restaurants operate today.

Obituaries

Harry Upton, 84, Executive, Entrepreneur, RTM Member, Volunteer

By David Gurliacci | March 22, 2016

Harry Frank Upton liked to tell a story about how he joined the U.S. Air Force. One day, they lined up the young men from his ROTC unit. Each man counted off, the ones matched with the nation’s newly-formed Air Force, the twos stayed in the Army. Harry counted off one, and went on to serve proudly as a jet pilot from 1953 to 1956, attaining the rank of Captain. Harry counted life itself a blessing.

Obituaries

Charles Evers, 76, Public Oversight Board Technical Director, Active in Church, Outdoors

By David Gurliacci | March 20, 2016

Charles (Chuck) John Evers, 76, of Darien died on Wednesday evening, March 16, after suffering a stroke. Charles had been battling Parkinson’s disease for several years. He died with his devoted wife Carolyn, his eldest daughter Kathie, youngest daughter Patrice, and son Christopher at his side. An only child, Charles was born in Queens on Sept. 11, 1939, to Charles and Veronica Evers.

Obituaries

Llewellyn Wall, 75, Electrical Engineer, Raised in Darien

By David Gurliacci | March 19, 2016

Llewellyn E. Wall, age 75, of Concord, died peacefully in the company of his family on Thursday, March 17 at his Concord, Mass., home. He was the beloved husband for 38 years of Barbara Lynn Clark. Born in Indianapolis, Ind. on March 5, 1942, he was the son of the late Alexander and Helena (Evans) Wall. He was raised in Darien, where he also attended public schools.

Obituaries

Ann Roberts, 89, Worked at Middlesex Middle School

By David Gurliacci | March 17, 2016

Anne E. Roberts, age 89, wife of the late Dudley E. Roberts, passed away on March 7, 2016, at Norwalk Hospital. She is survived by her loving son Michael J. Roberts of Norwalk,;  a brother, Joe Dichiaro and his wife Bobbie; and by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Mary Dichiaro. Anne worked as a legal secretary to the late Judge Walton Clark of Darien and prior to that for Middlesex School in Darien. She was a devoted wife and mother to her son Michael.

Obituaries

Marjorie Beinfield, 90, Mother, Active in Civil Rights Movement, Elderly Javelin Thrower

By David Gurliacci | March 16, 2016

Marjorie Koster Beinfield of Darien, a former 60-year Westport resident and wife of the late well-known Westport physician Malcolm Beinfield, died March 12, 2016 at home. She was 90. Over the years, Marge and Mal Beinfield — he was Westport’s first board-certified surgeon — were involved in numerous causes promoting equal rights and social justice. Following the Mississippi summer of 1964 that saw students from the North organizing a voting rights campaign, the Beinfields hosted a reception after the Leonard Bernstein and Isaac Stern benefit concert for the Student Non-Violent Organizing Committee (SNCC). Bruce Beinfield, a son, remembers showing Isaac Stern the Stradivarius violin that had belonged to Marge’s father that night.

Obituaries

Joan LaBanca, 86, Executive Assistant to CEO J. Peter Grace

By David Gurliacci | March 15, 2016

Joan Grace LaBanca, a long-time resident of Darien and Jupiter, Fla., passed away on Thursday, March 10, 2016 at Stamford Hospital. Born on Oct. 1, 1929, in Suffern, NY, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Emma Meffert. She was 86. Joan’s education began in a one-room school house with 16 students.

Obituaries

Charles Gerstenmaier, 91, Veteran, Volunteer Firefighter, Father of Five

By David Gurliacci | March 12, 2016

Charles I. Gerstenmaier of Mystic, Conn., and a lifelong Darien resident until recently, passed away March 1, 2016 at the age of 91. He was the son of Charles and Irene Gerstenmaier of Darien. Charles served in the Air Force in World War II, attaining the rank of sergeant. During transit to India, his ship, the Rohna, was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by German forces using a radio-controlled rocket. Twelve hundred men lost their lives in the attack.

Obituaries

Anthony Martin, 77, Former Manager at Darien Sport Shop

By David Gurliacci | March 9, 2016

Anthony G. Martin of Taunton, beloved husband of Robert Campbell, passed away on March 2, 2016 at Brigham & Women’s Hospital at the age of 77. Anthony was born in Yonkers, N.Y., a son of the late John and Marie Martin. Before retirement, Mr. Martin was employed as a manager with Darien Sport Shop. Anthony was a U.S. Army veteran, having served with the 101st Airborne Division. Anthony loved to travel especially to Provincetown.

Obituaries

Harold Simpson Jr., 89, Advertising Executive, Active Darien Volunteer

By David Gurliacci | March 7, 2016

Harold Brown Simpson, Jr., a recent new resident of The Inn in New Canaan and a long-time resident of Darien, passed away on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at Stamford Hospital. He was 89. Born on Feb. 23, 1927 in Boston, he grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y., the son of the late Harold B. and A. Jeanne Simpson. Harold joined the U.S. Navy on July 1, 1944 following his high school graduation and served in the Pacific Theater on Guam as a radioman third class.

Obituaries

Charles McKenney, 84, Patent Lawyer, Former Darien Resident

By David Gurliacci | March 6, 2016

Charles Emerson McKenney, age 84, of West Palm Beach, Florida passed away peacefully on March 1 in a hospice. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Helaine (“Bobo”). Born Feb. 28, 1932 in Summit, N.J. to Maurice and Florence of Summit, he graduated from Pingry School in 1950 and Yale University in 1954. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School in 1959, and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.