Darien Obituary March 2018

Charles Rhodes, 71, Physician in Indian Health Service, Darien High School Class of ’64

Jacqueline Pace, 93, a Teenager in the French Resistance, Former Darien Resident

Robert Buccelly, 87, Former Darien Resident, Electrician, Air Force Veteran

Susan Coates, 69, Former Darien Resident, Active Volunteer

Barbara Dillon, 90, Worked at The New Yorker, Wrote Children’s Books, Active Volunteer

Charles Miner Jr., 96, Financial Executive, Active Volunteer, Former Resident of Darien

Gloria Improta, 88, Worked at Mama Carmela’s Deli, Formerly at Mr. Deli in Darien

Vivette Wilks, 88, Member of New Beginnings Community Church in Darien

Lenore Close, 91, Choir Soloist, Darien Thrift Store Volunteer, Lifelong Darienite

Ruth Butler, 84, Model, Actress, Tutor, Devoted Mother of Six, Former Darien Resident

Stuart Seagren, 95, WWII Veteran, Postal Service Employee, Longtime Darien Resident

Jacqueline Miller-Vogel, 75, Fire Department Volunteer, Worked at Minqpack Limousine

Ronald Burns, 90, Former Darien Resident, Avid Golfer, Founded Asset Management Firm

Dorothea Sarr, 91, Active Volunteer, Former Darien Resident

Sabina Burke, 75, Grew Up in Darien, Former Town Resident

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Charles Edward Rhodes, M.D., of Phoenix died unexpectedly March 8, 2018 at home. He was 71. Known to his family as “Chuck”, he was born June 22, 1946 in Charleston, WV, to the late Mary Tipton Ross Rhodes and Arthur Winfred Rhodes. A member of the Darien High School class of 1964, he graduated from The Johns Hopkins University (1968) and received his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College in 1972. Chuck Rhodes’ life was defined by a clear moral vision and a deep desire to give to others rather than be given to, rejecting comfort and luxury in favor of an unrelenting drive to serve those around him.

Jacqueline Henriette Pace, a former, long- time resident of Darien and once a member of the French Resistance, passed away peacefully after a long illness Saturday, March 24, at her apartment in Stamford. She was 93.

Born March 18, 1925 in Paris, Jacqueline Gambiez survived the Great Depression and World War II as part of the rightfully dubbed “Greatest Generation.”

Upon the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, Jacqueline left behind her Parisian childhood to hide in the Burgundy countryside in Chatillon-sur-Seine with her mother and grandmother. (Her grandfather, Henri Bertrand, who had passed before WWII, once owned a small cheese-making company near Chatillon, in Chamesson, and built a beautiful stone home there that remains today.)

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— an obituary from Edward Lawrence Funeral Home

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Two years later, at the age of 14, Jacqueline joined the Resistance delivering mail to the underground. While she assumed tremendous risk (that she said she never appreciated at the time), she proved very valuable as a translator since she spoke English, German, Russian, and of course, French. Among her notable wartime successes, Jacqueline helped save the life of American pilot, James MacGrew, who had been downed behind enemy lines in the forest near her home.

Robert W. Buccelly, 87, of Shelton, beloved husband of Gertrude M. Ouellette Buccelly, passed away March 31 at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport.

Robert was born in Derby, May 9, 1930, son of the late Liberato and Antonetta Bosco Buccelly. Robert was a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force serving during the Korean War. He graduated from the University of Hartford with two associates degrees in electronics and in industrial & communications. He lived in Darien, for many years. He worked as an electronic technician for Dorr-Oliver Inc. of Stamford for many years until his retirement. He was a member of the Sutter Terlizzi American Legion Post 16 of Shelton, and the Shelton Senior Center. Along with his wife Gertrude, he is survived by his sister, Ada Rauscher of Worcester, Mass.; his sister-in-law, Dolores Buccelly of Shelton, his nephews: Michael Rauscher and Keith Ogle and his wife, Jennifer; his nieces: Mary Marengo, Debbie Potter Ogle, and Joan Russell and her husband, John. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers: Dante Buccelly (who was shot down and died while flying a mission in the U.S. Air Force during World War II) and Orlando Buccelly (who was also a proud veteran of the U.S. military and served during WWII); and his sisters: Eva Ogle, and Dora Buccelly.

Susan Merritt Coates, 69, passed away on March 10 from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which affects one person in a million each year. She was surrounded by family and friends when she passed away peacefully with the same smile and positive attitude that she kept during her entire life. Susan was born May 21, 1948 in Port Chester, N.Y. and graduated from Darien High School. She attended Colorado Women’s College in Boulder before transferring to San Jose State University, where she received her degree. It was there that she met her future husband, Stephen, to whom she was married for nearly 48 years.

Barbara Dinkel Dillon, 90, of Darien passed away on March 28, 2018. Born on Sept. 2, 1927 in Glen Ridge, N.J., Barbara grew up in Maplewood, N.J., where she graduated from Columbia High School. She went on to attend Pembroke College in Providence (then the women’s school of Brown University), following in her father’s footsteps as a Brown alumnus. She graduated in 1939 with a B.A. in English.

The family of Charles Miner Jr. announces the loss of their beloved father on March 19 in Vero Beach, Fla. Charlie, or Chas, was born Dec. 13, 1921 in New York City. He was 96 years young, and peacefully passed away at home with his children at his side. He is survived by his three children: Charmaine Caldwell, Mary M. Rude-Bell, and Charles Miner III, MD: six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Gloria Rose Improta, who resided in Stamford for over 70 years, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 25 at Stamford Hospital. She was 88 years old. Gloria was best known in recent years for working at Mama Carmela’s Deli in Darien, where customers knew her by name and enjoyed her genuine smile and the care she took in catering to them. Her hospitality was her passion as customers, family, and friends were drawn to her engaging personality and resourcefulness. Gloria was born Feb.

Vivette Veronica Hyacinth (Hanchard) Wilks was peacefully called home surrounded by her family on March 14. She was born on Jan. 30, 1930 to her beloved parents, the late Adrian and Alberta Hanchard of Leinster, St. Mary, Jamaica. Adored by everyone who knew her, Mrs. Wilks was educated in St.

Lenore J. (Walton) Close, a lifelong resident of Darien, passed away on Monday, March 19 at The Nathaniel Witherell nursing home in Greenwich. She was 91. Born on April 19, 1926 in Stamford, she was the daughter of the late Eri B. and Anna (Hudson) Walton. Lenore graduated from Darien High School and Paine Hall School in New York City. She served as a nursing assistant, before marriage and children.

Ruth Louise “Jill” Butler (née Robertson), passed away on March 19, at the age of 84. Raised in Minneapolis and Chicago, Jill attended high school at Marywood Academy in Evanston, Ill., and graduated from the College of New Rochelle. She married, lived briefly in Fair Lawn, N.J., then settled in Ridgewood, N.J., where she devoted herself to raising her six children. She later pursued a career in teaching, first in the Ridgewood public schools, and later, after moving to Darien, as a sought-after tutor for many years at the Sylvan Learning Center there. In later years she also resided in Fairfield, New York City and Duxbury, Mass.

Stuart T. Seagren, of Darien passed away on March 21, 2018 at Stamford Hospital. He was 95. Born on Feb. 23, 1923 in Norrkoping, Sweden, he was the son of Joseph and Greta Seagren (Sjogren). Stuart was predeceased by his wife, Mary, and is survived by his son Dwight, daughter-in-law, Koko, and grandson, Eric.

Jacqueline G. Miller-Vogel of Lake Ariel, Pa. died Sunday evening, March 18 at Julia Ribaudo Extended Care Center. She is survived by husband is George A. Vogel. Her first husband, James Miller Sr. died in 2004. She was 75.

Ronald J. Burns passed away on Monday, March 12, 2018 in Jacksonville, Fla. He was 90. He was born in Fall River, Mass. on Dec. 8, 1927.

Dorthea Hess Sarr “Dottie”, age 91, of Kennett Square, Pa., died Monday March 12, at the Crosslands Community in Kennett Square. She was the wife of the late Richard B. Sarr with whom she shared 56 years of marriage, until he passed away in 2008. Born in July 1926 in Dillsburg, Pa., Dottie was the second of five children of Clyde and Emma Romaine (Weaver) Hess. She grew up in Dillsburg surrounded by relatives. She was raised in the United Brethren Church and stayed active in her church faith throughout her life.

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Sabina Burke of Stamford, died suddenly March 15, 2018 at age 75. Raised in Darien, she was the daughter of the late Edmund (Ted) and Jean (Geddes) Burke and is survived by her brothers: Thomas Burke and his wife, Markey, of Wayland, Mass. and Edmund (Ted) Burke Jr. of Ridgefield. Funeral services will be held at Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Rd, Darien on Wednesday, March 21, at 12 noon. — an obituary from Lawrence Funeral Home