Darienite (https://darienite.com/tag/darien-obituaries-2020)
Lt. Col. Richard (Dick) H. Smith, USAF Ret., and his wife, Emma Jeanne Street Smith (Emmy), both from Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Florida, have each passed on from life on Earth to the next chapter in their lives together. Dick passed away on Nov. 24, 2021 at age 89, almost a year after Emmy’s passing on Nov. 27, 2020.
Louis Paul Sepe of Darien died suddenly on Dec. 17, 2020. He was 88. Born to Vincent Sepe and Laurina Nardone Sepe on April 17, 1932, he was known as “Lou” by friends and neighbors, “Sep” by his wife, Cynthia, and “Gigi” or “Uncle Gigi” by his family. In Millbrook, New York, he was born, grew up, played basketball for and graduated from Millbrook High School.
Elizabeth F. King (a.k.a. Betty Rae King) of Celebration, Florida died on Jan. 2 at 3:30 p.m. due to a stroke. She was 84 years old. Betty Rae was born in West Hartford, on July 8, 1936. She studied education at Saint Joseph’s College in West Hartford and went on to become an elementary school teacher.
Margaret (Peggy) Upton, 87, a resident of Manchester Center, Vermont and formerly of Nebraska and Darien, passed away Nov. 27, 2020 at Equinox Terrace in Manchester. Peggy was born in Gothenburg, Nebraska on June 21, 1933 the daughter of the late Oscar and Elenora Block Swanson. She attended local schools and did her undergraduate studies at Iowa State and Stanford University. She worked in the real estate business and managed the Stratton Mountain Employee Store.
A. William Cornell, age 103, of Fairfield, beloved husband of Mary Jo Madaloni Cornell for 76 years, died on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020 surrounded by his family. Bill was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Sept. 4, 1917 to the late Arthur W. and Miriam Hawkins Cornell and was a Fairfield resident for over 65 years.
Priscilla Sellery, a long time resident of Darien and Rowayton, passed away peacefully on Friday, Oct. 13 in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 79 years old. For the past year she had been living at Waterstone on Augusta Assisted Living near where her son, Stephen, and his family reside. The cause of death was a malignant brain tumor, called a glioblastoma, for which she had been treated periodically with radiation and chemotherapy since its discovery in 2018.
Janusz Lech Madej, 84, husband of the late Wieslawa “Vickie” Madej, passed away on Nov. 12, 2020 at his home in Fresno, California. He was a former longtime resident of Darien. He was born August 24, 1936 in Warsaw, Poland, and was the only child of the late Tadeusz and Maria (Nowicka) Madej. He grew up during World War II.
Darien Town Clerk Caryn Lynn Diller, died on Saturday, Nov. 14, at home surrounded by her family. Daughter of the late William Henry Diller and Gertrude Rettig Diller, Caryn was born Jan. 10, 1952 in Stamford. Other then a brief period at her parent’s vacation locale, Caryn was a lifelong Darien resident. After graduating from Skowhegan High School, Caryn attended Ricker College of the Northeast in Houlton, Maine, obtaining a sociology degree.
Terri Marie Brode died peacefully on Oct. 31 at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York, with her husband, Andrew, at her side, following complications from surgery. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Terri graduated from Roncalli High School in Indianapolis in 1985 and Butler University in 1989 with a degree in accounting. After working for Arthur Anderson for five years and ready for a change, Terri attended Duke University, receiving an MBA in 1995. Her sights set on New York City, Terri accepted a job with JP Morgan, where she would meet her husband and marry in 1997.
Winifred Anne Miekle nee McGuinness (“Wini”), 81, a Twyford, England resident, passed away unexpectedly in Winchester Hospital on Oct. 1. Born May 7, 1939 in Stamford, she attended Stamford High School (Class of 1957), St. Mary’s College of Indiana, and Michigan State University. She taught at Stamford High School and in Darien.
June Craver Penn, 94, passed away peacefully on July 29, at her son’s home in Guilford. She was born on May 5, 1926, the daughter of Bates Bartlett and Isabel Josephine (Dempwolf) Craver of Waterbury. A 1944 graduate of St. Margaret’s School for Girls in Waterbury, June then attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, graduating in 1948. Extensive travel in Europe for 18 months after college led to a job with American Express in New York City for two years.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, David J. Driver, Jr., loving husband and devoted father of two children, passed away at the age of 57 from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Dave was born on March 22, 1963 in Quantico, Virginia to David and Jean Driver. He grew up in Darien and Berwyn, Pennsylvania, graduating from Conestoga High School in 1981. Dave received his Bachelor of Science degree from East Carolina University in 1986. He became a successful national account sales manager, working primarily in the food service business for 34 years, based in Philadelphia.
An independent, creative, loving force, Ann Hartman Carter died peacefully in her sleep Oct. 4 at age 96. Born in 1924 in Detroit, her father, Hubert Hartman, was at one time head counsel for Ford Motor Company. Ann spent her childhood summers at Camp Ak-O-Mak, Ahmic Harbour, Ontario where she excelled at diving, sailing, and tennis. She was president of her Delta Alpha Delta Sorority during her high school years, booking dances wth Tommy Dorsey, Glen Miller, Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong.
Jim Frederick passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 7, 2020, a few days shy of his 60th birthday. James Bradley Frederick of Darien was born Oct. 13, 1960, and grew up in New Britain, the son of Theodore (Ted) Frederick and Joyce (Chase) Frederick. Jim’s parents instilled many values in him which became hallmarks of his life including the satisfaction enjoyed after a hard day’s work, and the loyalty and trust earned from always having a friend’s back.
Arline M. D’Aquila, a longtime resident of Darien, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 13 in Fairfield. She was 94. Born on March 26, 1926 in Meriden, she was the daughter of the late Rocco and Mary (Petrucelli) D’Apice. Arline was raised in Meriden and graduated from Meriden High School in 1944.