Darienite (https://darienite.com/tag/darien-obituary-august-2025)
Janet McMahon Mustion, beloved mother, grandmother, and cherished friend, passed away on Aug. 19 in Darien. May she rest in peace. Janet was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, John Morris Mustion, in 2016. Janet is survived by her four children: Loren, Sheryl, John Jr. and Glenn.
It is with very heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Sheila A. (Lunny) Duffy, of Darien, who passed away peacefully on Aug. 28 at 90 years of age. She was the beloved wife of the late Michael A. Duffy for 49 years. Shortly after their marriage in 1957 the couple moved to Darien, where they devoted their lives to lovingly raising their three children, Deborah, Michael and William. Sheila was born on Feb.
Frank Badart Kemp, 81, of Darien passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 30 2025, due to heart failure. Born on Sept. 30, 1943, to Blanche and Lemuel Kemp, Frank was raised at their home in Catonsville Maryland. He graduated from McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland in 1961.
Pearl Kaminsky passed peacefully on Aug. 17. She was born in Stamford Connecticut, the daughter of Paul and Katherine Walczuk. She was a longtime resident of Darien, moving to Norwalk after retirement. She enjoyed her work as a buyer and salesperson at Ethel Allen, Nora Zandre and Elsebe’s, assisting her clients in finding the perfect outfits to fit their personality and lifestyle.
Arthur Foster Draper Jr., known to all as “Port,” passed away peacefully on Aug. 5, at Bridges Memory Care in Norwalk, where he had lived for the past three years. He was 84. Born on Oct. 2, 1941, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to Sarah Hayward and Arthur Foster Draper, Port grew up in Noroton Bay, Darien.
Nancy White Burden Tapley, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on Aug. 24, 2025, in Darien, Connecticut, at the age of 93. Born in Springfield, Ohio, on April 22, 1932, Nancy was the only child of Clarence and Hazello Burden. She grew up in Larchmont, New York, and spent summers with her cousins at her beloved Gram White’s cottage on Lake Erie. She graduated from Mamaroneck High School in 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics from the University of Vermont in 1954, where she was a drum majorette and member of Pi Beta Phi.
Richard (Dick) James Montgomery, a resident of Darien, Connecticut for 52 years, passed away peacefully in his home on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. He was 96. Dick, the second son of the late William and Frances Montgomery, was born on April 5, 1929, in the city of Palembang on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, while his father was stationed there. Dick spent the first 11 years of his childhood in Sumatra, sailing back to the U.S. when the Japanese began expanding into Pacific territories.
William “Bill” Taggart of New Canaan passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 15, surrounded by his loving family. He was 88. Born in New York City in 1936 to Rush and Carolyn Taggart, Bill was the youngest of four children, cherished brother to Rush Jr., Robert, and Eliza. He grew up in Rye, New York, where his lifelong love of family, learning, and the outdoors began to take root.
Peter Eric Ruhlin passed away surrounded by family on July 27, 2025, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He was 64. Peter was born on May 10, 1961, in Kodiak, Alaska. He grew up in New Canaan, where he played on the lacrosse and football teams and achieved the rank of eagle scout. Peter earned his mechanical engineering degree with honors from Brown University, where he played on the lacrosse team.
Mary Lopiano passed away July 28 after a brief illness. She was 79. Mary was born on Dec. 27, 1945 in Eastford. She met her beloved husband, Joe, at college, and the two were married in 1968.
Allison A. Gallagher, 66, of Darien passed away peacefully at Greenwich Hospital on July 7 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Born on Aug. 14, 1958, in Atlanta, Allison was the daughter of the late Richard and Jeanne Serman Artis. She moved to Darien at a young age and graduated from Darien High School in 1976. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Fairfield University and later worked as a paralegal.
Quinn Martin Fatherley, 58, passed away unexpectedly on July 13, 2025, at home in San Ramon, California. He was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and cousin who will be deeply missed by all who benefited from his gracious spirit. Born in Glen Cove, New York on Feb. 19, 1967, Quinn is survived by his wife of 22 years, Valerie, and their three teenage children: Emma, Garrett, and Tristan; his parents, Robert Fatherley Jr. and Julie Fatherley of Westport; his brother, Christopher, and his family currently residing in Fairfield; as well as extended family and friends around the world. A 1985 graduate of Darien High School, Quinn completed a bachelor’s degree in English and history from the University of Connecticut in 1989.
William Vincent “Vin” Burke, husband, father, grandfather, and (as he would have you know) “giant” of broadcast news, passed away peacefully at his home of 43 years in Darien on July 29, 2025, at the age of 85. The cause of death was complications from dementia. A man of great enthusiasm and spirit, Vin loved his family, his Irish-American heritage, his friends, and his work in television news. He was the eldest of three sons, born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1940 to Irish immigrant parents, Belinda A. Scott Burke and William Lawrence Burke. At Springfield’s Classical High School, Vin was captain of the swimming team; he then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Springfield College.
Robert Evans Woods Jr. died peacefully on June 29, surrounded by family. He was 77. The cause of death was aspiration pneumonia. He had recently been re-diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy after having been originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. Bob worked indefatigably to keep his symptoms at bay, and indeed always hoped to get back on the golf course.