Darienite (https://darienite.com/tag/darien-obituaries-2021)
Dolores Sanchioni passed away at Hanover Hill Health Care Center in Manchester, New Hampshire on Friday, Oct. 15, following a lengthy illness. She was 86. She was born on Sept. 22, 1935 in Newark, New Jersey to Charlotte and John Adamkowski.
Anne Shea Cagnina died peacefully on Oct. 4 at her home in Mystic, with her family by her side. The sole child of Thomas D. and Irene Pommerer Shea, Anne was born on March 28, 1931, and raised in New York City. She graduated from the College of New Rochelle with a Bachelor of Arts degree in math. Anne began her career at Metropolitan Life, and then worked as a programmer at Computer Usage Corporation and GE.
Victor F. “Butch” Domikis, Jr.of New Britain, passed away Tuesday Oct. 12, at Autumn Lake Health Center in New Britain. He was 70. Born on July 23, 1951 in New Britain, he was a former Darien resident, moving back to New Britain 28 years ago. Butch was a veterinary tech at two veterinarian locations — in Norwalk and Stamford.
Brenda Anne Jefferson Crink of Haverhill, Massachusetts, went to be with her Lord in the wee hours of Sept. 22, 2021. She was 85. Brenda was born in Darien on Oct. 16, 1935 to Louis French Jefferson (1894 – 1944) and Anne Kunert Jefferson Blythe (1905 – 1993).
John Austin Clark, a former resident of Darien, died Oct. 8 at The Nathaniel Witherell nursing home in Greenwich. He passed away in his sleep due to complications from a series of strokes. John was 85. He grew up in East Orange, New Jersey, as the only child of Ralph and Lettie Clark.
Susan Elizabeth Moore Hart quietly departed her life on the morning of September 18. She was 104. She was born on August 11, 1917, in Southington, the youngest daughter of Daisy Ackart and Charles Martin Moore. Having skipped a grade in elementary school, she graduated as valedictorian of her high school class. Though this was the end of her formal education, she never stopped learning.
Patricia J. “Patti Jo” Heatter, nee Jacobs (McKinney, Texas), passed away on Sept. 29. Patti Jo was a preschool teacher at Darien Nature Center. She truly was a friend to everyone she met. She was the beloved wife for 44 years of Craig E. Heatter and loving mother of Edward (Shelby) and Elizabeth; cherished grandmother of Emerson and Landry; sear sister of Maryanne Hawkins and the late Roy D. Jacobs, Jr.; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.
John Hill White Jr. (Chip) of Greenwich and Douglas, Michigan, passed way on Saturday, Sept. 18. He was 71. Chip was born in St. Louis on May 31, 1950, to John Hill White and Eleanor Ring White.
Gerald “Jerry” Joseph Guthrie, a longtime resident of Poughkeepsie, New York and recently of Darien, passed away peacefully on Oct. 8, 2021 at Stamford Hospital. He was born on Nov. 3, 1936 in Yonkers, New York, to Harold Guthrie and Mary Smith Guthrie. He graduated from Gorton High School in Yonkers, and in 1959 married the late Carol O’Connell.
Carole Hanks Ponichtera daughter of the late Lynn and Shirley Hanks passed away Sept. 23 from a long bout of cancer at her home in Mesa, Arizona. She was 68 and a former resident, graduating from Darien High School in 1972. Carole is survived by her three daughters: Verity Ponichtera of Arizona, Jesse (and Matt) Duran of Arizona, Rebecca Ponichtera of Oregon, and her granddaughter Zowie Ponichtera of Arizona and grandson Benny Duran. Also, surviving is her siblings Sharon Hanks Bixler of South Carolina, Margie Hanks of Norwalk, John Hanks of Norwalk, Bill Hanks of Arizona, and her aunt, Betty Richter from Darien.
William “Bill” Smith of Shelton passed away on Oct. 5. He was 53. Born July 5, 1968, in Darien, Bill graduated from Darien High School, Class of 1986, and was an oil technician at Petro Home Services for over 20 years. He was a member of the National Association for Amateur Radio (call sign KB1NCP) and a member and drummer in the The Port Chester American Legion Band.
Ruth Richardson Montgomery of Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford, Massachusetts, passed away on Sept. 28, after a short illness. She was 91. A graduate of Adelphi Academy (1948) and Mount Holyoke College (1952), Ruth and her former husband, Robert, and their children lived in Nassau, Bahamas, from 1955 to 1964, in New Canaan from 1964 to 1975, and in Houston from 1975 to 1982. Thereafter, she lived in Darien with her late husband Sigmund John Montgomery, who predeceased her in 2017.
Dick Morrill, a long-time resident of Darien and Southbury, passed away on Aug. 13. He was 99. He will be lovingly remembered for his quick wit, his infectious laugh, his encyclopedic knowledge on almost any subject, his unique aptitude for enlightening conversation, and his rich appreciation of humanity. Dick was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 8, 1922 and graduated from Williams College, Class of ‘45.
Jean H. Thomas passed away the morning of Sept. 16, just shy of her 91st birthday at Meadow Ridge in Redding. She was born in 1930 in New London to Anna Fletcher and Harry R. Hewitt and grew up in Groton. Jean met the love of her life while at Fitch High School when she attended a ring dance at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. When the music stopped, Ensign Richard (Dick) M. Thomas was standing in front of her and that was the beginning of their 52-year romance.
Elizabeth Sisson Dolphin passed away peacefully after a hard-fought battle with metastatic breast cancer on Aug.15, 2021. She was 61. Elizabeth was born on May 25, 1959 and raised in Darien and Wilmington, Delaware. An expert in environmental and land use planning, for 28 years she was responsible for comprehensive planning and community development for Farmington. She continued her dedication to the preservation and interpretation of open space and natural resources as the executive director of the Farmington Land Trust.