Elisabeth Perry (Day) Augustyn passed away peacefully on Jan. 19 at Branford Hills Health Center after a long illness.
Elisabeth was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1936, to Walter Merton and Elisabeth (DuMond) Perry and was raised in Darien. She was a graduate of the Low Heywood School and attended Smith College and the Yale School of Music.
For many years Elisabeth ran a successful piano instruction studio in Darien which included pre-school music education classes modeled on the pedagogy of Maria Montessori.
Elisabeth moved to Guilford in the early 1980s where she served for many years on the Planning and Zoning Committee and the Guilford Interfaith Housing Corporation. Elisabeth was a licensed real estate agent.
— This obituary previously was published by the New Haven Register.
Her lifelong passion for gardening and horticulture was sparked early by her maternal grandfather, the artist Frank Vincent DuMond, as shown in the extensive home landscapes and working gardens she created for her homes.
An advocate for the environment, she contributed to many local and national wildlife groups.
Elisabeth is survived by a daughter, Francesca Mellin of Andover, Massachusetts and her husband Carl; and two grandchildren: Wendy Mellin and Alex Mellin. She also leaves behind a brother, Walter Scott Perry and his wife, Nancy, of Los Angeles; and a sister, Susan Pike and her husband, Allan, of Williamstown, Massachusetts; a nephew, Chris Perry and his wife Cathryn Dwyre; nieces: Sarah Pike and Libbie Pike; and several generations of DuMond cousins, including Douglas and Marcia DuMond of Darien.
Her family would like to thank the thoughtful staff and caregivers at Branford Hills Health Center, VNA Community Healthcare and Hospice of Guilford, and Home Instead of Guilford, with the special devotion of Mary Lou, her caregiver over the past few years.
A private burial will be held in Old Lyme later this year.
Memorial donations may be made on Elisabeth’s behalf to: Roses for Autism, 929 Boston Post Road, Guilford CT 06437, or VNA Community Healthcare and Hospice of Guilford, 753 Boston Post Road, Guilford CT 06437