Darienite (https://darienite.com/tag/darien-obituary-2022/page/5)
Mark Alan Yarish of Darien passed away peacefully Feb. 7, 2022, with his wife by his side. He was 56. Mark was born on Sept. 15,1965, in Norwalk to Sigmond and Elaine (Hall) Yarish.
Dennis Reilly, a former resident of Darien, died Jan. 30, 2022, at his home in Vero Beach, Florida. He was 60. Dennis was born Nov. 6, 1961 in New York City to Ann Marie and John Reilly.
Surrounded by family and friends in her beloved home in Ellensburg, Washington, Lisa Craig Davidson quietly passed away after succumbing to a brief battle with lung cancer on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2022. Lisa was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey in 1946. She grew up in Greenwich and attended Greenwich High School. Lisa spent her early years summering with her family in Rockport, Massachusetts and Belgrade Lakes, Maine.
James Bailey Laughlin, longtime resident of Darien and Fishers Island, New York, died peacefully on Jan. 25, 2022, three weeks before his 90th birthday. He was the devoted husband of Eleanor W. “Susie” Laughlin for 65 years and father of Laura L. Johnson, Tim, Ann, Tom and Chris Laughlin. Jim was born on Feb. 13, 1932 in Paris to Thomas and Louise Laughlin, and grew up in Manhasset, New York and Aiken, South Carolina.
Helen Jeanette Hanson, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away in Shelton on Jan. 20, 2022 at the amazing age of 99. Helen was born on July 29, 1922 to Harold and Dorothy Schubert in Madison, Wisconsin. Helen loved music. After playing the cello in her childhood, she focused on singing.
Julianne Mary Summerton, a lifelong resident of Darien, passed away peacefully on Monday, Feb. 7, 2022 at Stamford Hospital. She was 71. Born in 1950 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stamford, she was the daughter of the late Nelson and Bertha (Lasko) Summerton.
Barbara MacDonald Thomas of Laconia, New Hampshire, died in Rutland, Vermont, on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022. She was 95. She was born in Stamford on Sept. 26, 1926, the daughter of Robert Ralsey MacDonald and Elizabeth Taft MacDonald.
Charles H. Dana, 82, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, in Lake Bluff, Illinois, surrounded by family. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Newton and Edith Dana on July 30, 1939. He moved to Darien in 1954, where he met the love of his life, Ann Harper, and they were married on Nov. 25, 1960.
Stephen Phillip Smith, 78, of Darien passed away peacefully on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. He was born in Salt Lake City to Phillis A. and Wayne S. Smith on May 30, 1943. Raised in Colorado, Steve graduated in 1966 with a B.S. in business/marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He married Judith H. Shafer in 1965. Steve began his career in sales with Hallmark Cards Inc. in Hartford and then moved to Long Island to work for Reynolds Securities in New York City.
Frederick Myers Perkins Jr. passed away peacefully on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022 at his home in Houston. He was 93 years of age. He was born on Oct. 7, 1928, in Tallahassee, Florida, spending his childhood years in Jacksonville, Florida.
John P. Gerbasi, 88, a resident of Trumbull and previously a longtime resident of Norwalk and Darien, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at home. Born in Stamford on April 15, 1933, he was the son of John M. Gerbasi and Carmella N. Gerbasi of Stamford. John was raised in Stamford, graduated from Stamford High School, and served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He raised his family in Darien with his wife Priscilla E. Gerbasi, and for many years owned and operated the Priscilla Furniture store at 355 Post Road in Darien. He served as a volunteer coach for his two sons’ Darien Little League baseball teams and followed their sports and school activities closely over the years
John enjoyed restoring and dealing in early American antiques, following the stock market and current business events, horse racing, and maintaining the many friendships he made throughout his years in the furniture business in Fairfield County.
Florence Julia Brown Swain died Jan. 15, 2022, at the EagleCrest senior home in Roseville, Minnesota, where she had lived for 10 years. She was 100. Florence was born Dec. 10, 1921, in Albion, New York to Walter Leroy Brown and Theta Hakes Brown, and grew up nearby on her parents’ farm.
Connie Marie Hirt, the beloved wife to the late Fred J. Hirt, a resident of Darien and a former resident of Manhattan, passed away on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, at Calvary Hospital, Bronx, New York. She was 92. Born on Jan. 17, 1929, in New York City, she was the daughter of the late Diego and Domenica (DiPasquale) Lupo.
Barbara Vale Andrews, 62, of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2022, surrounded by her family. Barbara was born Feb. 21, 1959, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Shirley Massick Vale and Stanley L. Vale.
Jean Tyler, a life-long resident of Darien, passed away on Friday, Jan. 21 at Danbury Hospital with her family by her side. She was 89. Jean was born on March 6, 1932 in Darien and was the daughter of the late Samuel and Mildred Arcano. Jean graduated from Darien High School, class of 1950.