Darienite (https://darienite.com/tag/darien-obituary-may-2016)
Frances E. Williams (Bower), 84, of Darien died at home on March 28, surrounded by family, after a short battle with cancer. Fran was born in Trumansburg, N.Y. on May 13, 1932 to Frank and Helen Bower. She graduated from Trumansburg High School, attended Oberlin College in Ohio and later lived in Venezuela for some time. She married Thomas M. Williams on Dec. 24, 1967 and had one daughter, Karen.
Nathen Porter Edwards died on May 26, 2016 at the age of 93 in Willow Street, Pa. surrounded by family.
Nate was born in Cottage Grove, Ore., grew up during the Great Depression and spent two years at the University of Oregon before joining the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor. He served in the South Pacific as a Chief Radio Tech, became an officer and was discharged as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1946. After the war he graduated from Stanford University in 1949 with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. His 41-year electrical engineering career was spent at IBM. Nate worked with a team considered to be some of the pioneers of computers and he can be considered a pioneer himself. He was in the room when the term “byte” was coined and he managed the digital design of NORAD’s first air defense computer (SAGE), the physically largest computer ever built.
In the 1960s Nate worked in the Pentagon, on loan from IBM, during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of President Kennedy. He held several director-level positions at IBM, performed research and is responsible for 22 technical papers and 14 patents.
The Rev. Canon JoAnn Reynolds Munro, of Hancock, N.H., a former member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Darien, died surrounded by family and friends on May 8 at Monadnock Community Hospital. Ms. Munro was born in Walla Walla, Wash. on Oct. 20,1934 the daughter of Harry J. Reynolds Jr. and Sarah (Delaney) Reynolds Fisher.
James Franklin McMahon, 89, a computer sales executive from the early days of electronic data processing, died May 26, 2016, after a short illness. A resident of Essex, he had formerly resided in Old Lyme and Darien. Jim was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was a graduate of the Poly Prep Country Day School and Colgate University, where he was active in the Theta Chi fraternity. While in college, Jim dated Barbara Doyle, a student at Smith College who he had met at dancing school in Brooklyn. Immediately after their college graduations, Jim and Barbara married in 1950.
Mary Gallaher Leigh died in McLean, Va. on May 16, 2016 after a long illness. She was 89.
Born in 1926 in Paris to American parents, Hugh and Catharine Gallaher, she and her family moved to Darien in 1930. After graduating from Smith College in 1948, Mary worked for the federal government, living in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.
There she met her husband of 50 years, Monroe Leigh of Virginia. From 1951 to 1954, they lived in London and Paris as Monroe served the U.S. Mission to NATO before returning to Washington.
Angelo Procaccini, 91, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2016 with his loving family by his side. He was a resident of Darien residing his entire life not far from the family farm and the home in which he was born to Luigi and Carolina Russo Procaccini on Aug. 11, 1924. He was one of 10 children. His family lived on a farm, now the site of the Kensett development, where they raised their own vegetables and livestock.
Christine C. Lampros Robinson, 91, of Darien, formerly of Stamford, passed away peacefully on Thursday May 19, 2016 at Stamford Hospital surrounded by her loving family. Christine was born in Stamford on May 25, 1924 to the late Peter and Katherine Marinokos Lampros. Christine graduated Stamford High School, Class of 1942, where she was voted most athletic. She worked at Life Study Fellowship Foundation in Darien before her retirement at the age of 80. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother.
Harry William Larson Jr. of Wolfeboro, N.H., passed away on Monday, May 23, after a long battle with cancer. He was 76. Harry was born in Norwalk, on Nov. 15, 1939 to Harry and Bertha (Holtzberg) Larson from Darien. He graduated from Darien High School in 1958 and Bryant College in 1961.
Michael Anthony Siragusa, 30, of Stamford died Saturday May 21. Michael was born on Oct. 11 1985 and graduated from Darien High School in 2003. Michael went on to Johnson Wales Culinary Institute, and was currently employed by United Parcel Service. Always courageous and industrious despite his learning disabilities, Michael was also working with his father at Sal’s Electric of Darien while studying to get his Electricians license. A unique soul, Michael will always be remembered for his ambition, his generosity with his friends and family and his ability to always keep them laughing.
Jeanne S. Artis, 90, a resident of Darien since 1964, passed away on Saturday, May 21 at Stamford Hospital after a short illness. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Richard W. Artist. Born in Bethlehem, Pa., Mrs. Artis was the daughter of Charles and Florence Haney Serman. As a young girl, she was an expert swimmer and an accomplished musician, playing clarinet in her high school band and performing solo and duo piano in regional recitals and concerts. Mrs. Artis attended Syracuse University, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.
Gay Bennett Reichart, a woman of legendary kindness and social grace, passed peacefully at home on Sunday, March 6. Throughout the indignity of her battle against breast cancer (diagnosed in 2012), she was the picture of dignity to her very last day. She had an unusual combination of ethics and etiquette mixed with a big helping of playfulness. In her later years, she became a prolific and talented quilter. (Many in the family have a Gay Reichart original on their beds or couches.)
What a gift she was and what a terrific legacy she’s left us to follow.
Mrs. Jean Heckadon McCormick, 68, passed away Monday, May 9 at her residence after a two-year long courageous battle with melanoma. Mrs. McCormick was born Jan. 1, 1948 in Almirante, Panama. She is the daughter of the late Philip and Catherine Simpson Heckadon of Evans, Ga. Jean spent most of her formative years in Bakersfield, Calif.
Leslie Campbell Eckhardt passed away on Friday, May 20. She was 64. Leslie was raised in Darien and lived in Fort Lauderdale for the past 28 years. An avid equestrian while growing up, she competed in numerous events in the Northeast. Leslie is survived by her husband, Karl B. Eckhardt, retired Port Everglades employee, and two brothers, William H. Campbell of Newtown.
Evelyn Acton Kuban, 87, a former longtime resident of Darien, passed away on Tuesday, May 17 at The Village at Brookfield Common in Brookfield. Born on March 2, 1929 in Darien, she was the daughter of the late Howard and Ethel Acton. She married the late Edward J. Kuban on March 27, 1948. Evelyn was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who loved to laugh, dance and sing. Her smile and kind words to everyone will always be remembered.
Daniel Patrick Tully, 84, of Hobe Sound, Fla. and a former Darien resident, died Tuesday, May 10, while visiting his daughter’s home in Darien, according to various news reports. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Grace. __________
— unless otherwise noted, information in this obituary is from an obituary published by the Palm Beach Post from May 15 to May 16. __________
A statement posted by the Darien Athletic Foundation to its Facebook timeline said, “DAF mourns the loss of one of Darien’s finest people and philanthropists.”