Darienite (https://darienite.com/tag/darien-obituaries-may-2021)
Joan Kimball Matthews passed away on May 26, 2021. She was 98. She lived a remarkable life as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her family was her greatest joy. Joan was born on May 24, 1923 in New York City, the daughter of Abbott Kimball and Marion Graham Kimball, and grew up in Bronxville, New York.
Frank Joseph Colandro, 62, a lifelong resident of Stamford passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at Stamford Hospital. He was born in Stamford on Feb. 4, 1959 to the late John Colandro, Sr. and Carmela Denicola Colandro. Frank graduated from Stamford High School in 1977. After high school, Frank worked with his father at Stamford Box Lunch.
Melvin (Mike) Saul Silverstein, 95, of Worcester, Massachusetts, formerly of Norwalk and Hartford, passed away on May 18, 2021. An award-winning educator, prized friend and co-worker, he took on diverse roles in education and in his communities and was a longtime advocate for the less fortunate. He was the husband of the late Florence Heath Silverstein for 68 years. Born Oct. 30, 1925 in Hartford, he was the son of the late Samuel and Dora Kosofsky Silverstein.
Michael E. Smith passed away from lung cancer on Monday, May 31, at his home in Minneapolis, surrounded by love.He was 78. He was born June 30, 1942, the son of Francis E. Smith and Alexandra McNally Smith, of Darien. He was a loving father to his children, Graham and Charlotte, enjoying their company and valuing the uniqueness of each of their personalities. He cherished the happiness and loving companionship that he found with his wife, Kate. Michael graduated from Princeton University in 1965, attended Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar from 1965-1967, and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1970.
Howard “Tom” Thompson passed away on May 29. He was 89 years old. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Tom spent his childhood years in New Canaan and ultimately raised his family in Darien. After graduating from Middlebury College in 1953, Tom served in the United States Navy. Tom married Ann Hilton in 1958.
Judith Kleinhans Holding, a teacher, chaplain, and source of inspiration for her family, friends, and the countless others whom she served with grace and humor, died peacefully on May 29, 2021, in Etna, New Hampshire, loved ones by her side. She was 81. Her husband of 55 years, Bill, died in 2018. For the past two decades, Judy worked as a chaplain at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut, providing pastoral care to oncology patients, their families, and hospital staff across all faiths and traditions. Over the years, she was also actively involved with several service organizations, including the Center for Hope and Person-to-Person in Darien, and served on a number of boards, including the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University, New Canaan Country School, and the ‘Sconset Trust conservation organization.
Neil Stanley Johnson of Danbury, formerly of Easton, passed away suddenly at Danbury Hospital on May 22 at age 59. Neil graduated from Darien High School in 1980 and went on to Bucknell University. He later received a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University. Neil was an avid skier and a lifelong fan of the New York Mets. He met his wife, Susanne Staples Johnson, through a skiing club, and they were married on April 4, 1989. Neil worked for many years at General Analysis Corporation, later Wilkes Enterprise Inc., where he supervised the production and worldwide installation of infrared analyzers for biofuel, petrochemical, environmental, and manufacturing applications until the company was purchased and relocated by a larger organization.
Robert John Mason, aka, Mace the Ace, 69, of Darien, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, May 27. He was born in Stamford on Feb. 26, 1952 to the late Vincent W. and Katherine Hudson Mason. He was the captain of the Darien High School Basketball Team in 1971. Robert was a lobster fisherman and he enjoyed boating, clamming and was the life of the party.
Robert Brandon Walker died on May 17 at his home in San Clemente, California, at the age of 38. Brandon is the son of Rev. Robert and Donna Walker of Darien. His identical twin brother, Matthew, predeceased him on April 13 and Brandon was deeply distressed about this great loss. Brandon was born on March 20, 1983 in Dallas. In 1984 the Walker family moved to Darien.
Arline Fisher, formerly of Darien, passed away on May 15, 2021 in Natick, Massachusetts. Born in Englewood, New Jersey, to Robert Denton Fisher and Mathilda (Scherff) Fisher, Arline attended Cliffside Park High School and the New York School of Interior Design. Arline was a trailblazer, a rebel, and a true independent woman. As a young woman in the 1950s, Arline moved to California by herself and got a job as a film transcriptionist at MGM, where she was fortunate to meet celebrities including Rock Hudson and Roger Moore. She lived in California for 15 years before taking her next adventure: traveling in Europe for a year, exploring England, Spain and Italy among other countries.
Heaven received a beautiful soul on May 17, 2021. Beverly Woodcock McArthur, 95, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones. Born in Los Angeles, California, on May 16, 1926, to Vera and Nathan Woodcock, Bev spent her childhood earning Girl Scout badges and roller skating down Wilshire Boulevard with her girlfriends, most likely heading to the malt shop. Prior to graduating from Los Angeles High School in 1944, Bev was introduced to Anson James “Jim” McArthur, the true love of her life. This introduction was set up by Bev’s mother, Vera and Vera’s best friend, Isabel McArthur, Jim’s mother.
Mary Ann Happer Johnson, 92, passed away peacefully of cancer on May 21, 2021, at the Moosehaven Retirement Community in Orange Park, Florida. She was born and raised in Kinston, Lenoir County, North Carolina, and was a 1946 graduate of Kinston’s Grainger High School. She graduated from the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the Class of 1950 and later earned her master’s degree at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Mary Ann taught for many years at Grainger High School in Kinston and later for many years in Darien public schools before her retirement. She moved from Henderson, North Carolina, to Moosehaven in 2015, and absolutely loved the wonderful residents and dedicated staff at Moosehaven and all her new friends at St.
Francesco Brunetto, a resident of Darien, passed away on Wednesday, May 19 in Darien. He was 82. Born Feb. 22, 1939 in Castiglione, Sicily, he was the son of the late Salvatore and Giuseppina (Trefiletti) Brunetto. Francesco worked as a highway foreman for the Darien Department of Public Works for 46 years before retiring in 2004.
Susan Baudendistel Liedell, 85, passed away on May 19, 2021 due to complications from a fall at her home in Darien. Susan lived in Yarmouth Port on Cape Cod for 23 years before moving to Darien with her husband, James (Jim), in March 2019 to be closer to family. She most recently belonged to the First Congregational Church of Yarmouth. Susan was born in Brooklyn, New York on Aug. 31, 1935, and she was the beloved daughter of the late Joseph and Grace Gowen Baudendistel.
Stephen Yaeger passed away on May 13. He was 68. Born on Oct. 19, 1952, in Stamford and raised there, he received his education at St. Mary’s Catholic School and Catholic High in Stamford and at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.