United States High School Yearbooks by County
Ruth Weatherley, 86, longtime Bridgewater resident
Ruth Elsa Weatherley, 86, of Bridgewater, died Feb. 23 at Danbury Hospital. She was the wife of the late John S. Weatherley.
Mrs. Weatherley was born April 29, 1913, in New York City, the youngest daughter of the late Otto and Johanna (Hanser) Ungemah.
She was a resident of Bridgewater for 49 years. She had resided at Bethel Health Care Center since suffering a stroke in 1997.
Mrs. Weatherley began a career in the fashion industry as a seamstress and designer, training with Elizabeth Hawes. Subsequently, she opened her own millinery business in Westchester.
After her marriage to John Weatherley in 1947, the couple moved to Bridgewater in 1951.
She was a volunteer driver for Friends in Service Here (FISH) and a volunteer librarian at the Shepaug Valley Regional High School and helped the Bridgewater Historical Society by restoring its hat collection.
Mrs. Weatherley loved gardening, reading and writing poetry. A collection of her poems, Windsongs and Poems from an Apron Pocket, was published privately.
Her activities with the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) led her to be an advocate of nuclear disarmament and world peace. As part of her effort to build understanding between cultures, she traveled to Russia in 1990.
Mrs. Weatherley is survived by a son, John S. Weatherley Jr., and his wife, Susan, of Ridgefield; three daughters, Suzanne W. Moore and her husband, Donald, of Port Clyde, Maine, Joan W. Benham and her husband, John, of North Canton, and Susan W. Hammond and her husband, William, of Plainfield; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Bridgewater Congregational Church.
Donations in Mrs. Weatherley's memory may be made to the Housatonic Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, P.O. Box 43, New Milford, CT 06776.
Ethel Wathley, 99, had lifelong ties to Kent
Ethel M. (Shaw) Wathley, 99, died Feb. 23 at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, Vt. She was the widow of Frank L. Wathley.
Ms. Wathley was born May 16, 1900, in Sharon, daughter of the late Jennie (Liner) and Bertrand Shaw. She attended Kent schools. She was married Oct. 1, 1925, in Danbury.
After the death of her husband in 1935, she worked at Lee Hat Factory in Danbury for many years. She moved to Randolph Center, Vt., in 1970.
She was a member of Kent Congregational Church for 85 years and was a life member of Kent Grange. She enjoyed gardening, crocheting, jigsaw puzzles and baking.
Mrs. Wathley is survived by two sons, Edward Wathley of Kent and Norman Wathley of Randolph Center; two daughters, Alice Lake and Dorothy Wathley, both of Randolph Center; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son, Francis Wathley.
The Kenny Funeral Home of Sharon was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Kent Congregational Church, Kent, CT 06757.
Mary Vane, 94, grandmother of New Milfordite
Mary E. Vane, 94, of North Lakeshore Drive, Brookfield, died Feb. 26 at Harborside Glen Hill Nursing Center, Danbury. She was the wife of the late Louis Vane.
Mrs. Vane was born in West Dummersted, Vt., Nov. 7, 1905, daughter of the late Frederick and Rosa (Gallo) Corso.
She moved to Hartford and received her education there. Most of her life was spent in Yonkers, N.Y., before moving to Brookfield in 1994.
Mrs. Vane was a waitress at various country clubs in Bronxville and the Westchester area for several years. She retired in the late 1960s. She was a member of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church, Brookfield.
She is survived by two sons, Douglas Vane of Brookfield, a Brookfield police sergeant with whom she made her home, and Richard Vane, a retired Yonkers police lieutenant, now of Punta Gorda, Fla.; five grandsons, Robert Vane of Palmdale, Calif., Thomas Vane of Bethel, Christopher Vane of New York City, Daniel Vane of New Milford and Neil Vane of Brookfield; four great-grandchildren, Heather, Sean, Jamie and Amber; and several nieces and nephews.
The Brookfield Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Fund, Pocono Road, Brookfield, CT 06804.
Jean W. Danigelis, 90, was living in Kent
Jean W. Danigelis, 90, of 40 William St., Danbury, died Feb. 24 at The Kent in Kent. She was the wife of the late William K. Danigelis.
Mrs. Danigelis was born in Norfolk, Va., June 1, 1909, a daughter of the late Samuel and Margo (Egglis) Pulos.
She lived in Muskegon Heights, Mich., prior to residing in Danbury. She was a retired woman couturier.
In Muskegon Heights, she was active with the civic opera and the American Red Cross. She was a member of the Ladies Philoptocos Society and the Daughters of Penelope of AHEPA.
In Danbury, she was active with the American Red Cross and the Ladies Philoptocos Society of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church of Danbury and also was active on many church committees.
Mrs. Danigelis is survived by a son, Dean Danigelis of Brookfield; a brother, Peter W. Pulos of Muskegon; a sister, Rubye Springstead of Tampa, Fla.; two grandchildren, Bill Danigelis of San Mateo, Calif., and Dina Danigelis of Torrington; and a great-granddaughter, Nicole Danigelis. She was predeceased by two brothers, George Pulos and John Pulos, and two sisters, her twin, Betty Demetral, and Vivian Totulis.
The Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home of Danbury was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Assumption Greek Church Building Fund, 30 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury, CT 06811.
John W. deFriesse, 85, father of local men
John William (Bill) deFriesse, 85, died March 4 at New Milford Hospital with his wife and his nine children at his side. He was the husband of Florence (Weiss) deFriesse. Mr. deFriesse was born Dec. 27, 1914, in Bronx, N.Y., where he met his wife and married in 1943. During World War II he worked for the War Department as shore patrolman at the New York Port of Embarkation. The couple moved to South Norwalk in 1950 where he worked for the Preen Company. In 1965 they moved to Brookfield Center, where he worked for American Cyanamid, Davis & Geck Division, until his retirement in 1981. In their retirement years, Mr. and Mrs. deFriesse did extensive traveling, including cruises and a trip to the Holy Land and visiting friends and family scattered throughout the United States. Besides his wife, Mr. deFriesse is survived by six sons, Kenneth of South Norwalk, Edward of Washington, Richard and David of New Milford, Steve of Brookfield and Neil of Newtown; three daughters, Diane Leblanc of Georgetown, Mass., Suzanne Lazarowski of Mountain Home, Idaho, and Lynn Story of Rockport, Mass.; 22 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother and five sisters. A Memorial Mass will be held today (Friday) at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church, Brookfield, with a gathering following at Capers Restaurant, Route 7, Brookfield, at 12:30 p.m.
Donations in his memory may be made to New Milford Hospital, 21 Elm St., New Milford, CT 06776; or to Candlewood Valley Health Center, 30 Park Lane East, New Milford, CT 06776.
Roxane McHan, 85, longtime New Preston resident
Roxane (Wright) McHan, 85, of New Preston, died March 4 at New Milford Hospital. She was the widow of Wesley D. McHan Sr. Mrs. McHan was born April 21, 1914, in New Preston, daughter of the late Aaron and Elsie (Feldstein) (Wright) Wright. She was raised in Wilton and attended Short's Secretarial School in Norwalk. She moved back to New Preston as a young woman and lived there until her death. During World War II, Mrs. McHan worked at Warren MacArthur's in Bantam, and in the 1950s she drove a school bus in New Preston. She was a member of the Washington Fire Department's Women's Auxiliary and New Preston Congregational church. Mrs. McHan is survived by a son, W. Douglas McHan Jr. of New Preston, and three grandchildren. The Colonial Funeral Home of New Milford was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Washington Volunteer Fire Department, 109 Bee Brook Road, Washington, CT 06794.
Helen Tucker, 90, grandmother of Warren man
Helen (Gereg) Tucker, 90, died March 4 at her home on Candlewood Lake Road in Brookfield. She was the wife of the late Harry S. Tucker Sr. Mrs. Tucker was born in Brookfield Aug. 22, 1909, a daughter of the late Andrew and Veronica (Chervincky) Gereg. She graduated from New Milford High School in 1927 and from the Danbury Normal School in 1929. She earned a bachelor's and master's degree from the former Danbury State Teachers College. Mrs. Tucker began her teaching career at the one-room Wood Creek Schoolhouse and continued to teach in Brookfield until 1959. She retired from Berry School in Bethel in 1967. A member of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church in Brookfield, she was also involved in the the Brookfield Garden Club, the Retired Teachers Association, Brookfield AARP, the Brookfield Republican Woman's Club and the Brookfield Historical Society. Mrs. Tucker is survived by a son, Harry T. Tucker Jr., and his wife, Kay, of Brookfield; a sister, Mary V. Markosky of Newtown; a brother, Andrew T. Gereg of Brookfield; two grandchildren, Richard Tucker of Brookfield and Peter Tucker of Warren; a great-grandchild, Owen Tucker; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Anne J. Gereg, and brothers Rudolph, Joseph, George, Albert and Charles. The Brookfield Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to St. Marguerite Church, Candlewood Lake Road, Brookfield, CT 06804.
Mary A. Peterson, 68, was a Washington resident
Mary Ann (Perret) Peterson, 68, of 39 South St., Washington, died March 4 at Waterbury Extended Care in Watertown. She was the wife of Harold C. Peterson. Mrs. Peterson was born Feb. 3, 1932, in Torrington, daughter of the late Frederick and Dorothy (Terrell) Perret. She was a graduate of the former Morris High School, Class of 1950. She spent her early life in Bethlehem and lived in Washington since 1971. She worked as a bank teller for the First National Bank of Litchfield before her illness.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Peterson is survived by a son, James Marggraff of Lafyette, Calif.; a daughter, Marcia Valente of Wolcott; a brother, George Perret of Waterbury; two sisters, Unice Pratt of Bethlehem and Janet Savickas of Morris; and four grandchildren. A daughter, Carol Mitchell, is deceased. The Lillis Funeral Home of New Milford was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Washington Ambulance Association, P.O. Box 294, Washington Depot, CT 06794; or to Salem Covenant Church, P.O. Box 314, Washington Depot, CT 06794.
Norman Smith, 69, was born in New Milford
Norman Charles Smith, 69, of Hernando, Fla., died Feb. 24 at his home. Mr. Smith was born Feb. 11, 1931, in New Milford, a son of the late Brownson W. and Ada (Parsons) Smith. He was a retired auto service advisor, learning the trade from his father at the former BW Smith Garage in New Milford. He also worked for auto dealers in North Carolina and Florida. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean conflict. Mr. Smith is survived by a son, Mark Smith of Hernando, Fla.; a daughter, Dawn (Smith) Wilhelm of Hernando; a brother, Clayton Smith of Hollywood, Fla.; two grandchildren; and a dear friend, Millie Carson of Kensington, Md.
Contributions in his memory may be made to The American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492.
John Stoner, 46, brother of New Milford woman
John N. Stoner, 46, of Brant Lake, N.Y., died March 1. Mr. Stoner was born Dec. 20, 1953, in Mount Kisco, N.Y., the son of Ann (McGuire) Stoner Spavins of Brant Lake and New Milford and the late Ralph H. Stoner. He served in the United States Navy in New London on an E3. He had lived in the Brant Lake area for more than 20 years. Beside his mother, Mr. Stoner is survived by three sisters, Maureen Lathrope of New Milford, Kathleen Sexton of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Eileen Laczynski of Atlanta, Ga.; and many nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass and interment will be at a later date.
The Barton-McDermott Funeral Home of Chestertown, N.Y., is in charge of arrangements.
Frank Foshay Sr., 64, leaves New Milford relatives
Frank A. Foshay Sr., 64, died March 4 at Danbury Hospital. He was the husband of Evelyn Foshay of Brookfield. Mr. Foshay was born in Danbury Jan. 9, 1936, a son of Harry and Tess Foshay. He was a resident of Brookfield for the past 32 years, having recently retired from Metro-North Railroad. He was a member of Putnam/Westchester Metal Detectorsists and Archeological Society and a member of the Candlewood Sportsman Club. A graduate of Danbury High School and Henry Abbott Technical School, Mr. Foshay served in the United States Army. Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Frank Foshay and his wife, Darlene, of Bethel and John Foshay of Morgantown, W.Va.; a daughter, Jill Booher and her husband, Michael, of New Milford; a brother and sister-in-law, Harry and Rosemary Foshay of Dagsboro, Del.; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Ronald and Eleanor Gaboardi and Richard and Judy Schlemmer, all of Bethel, Karen Boucher and Al and Doris Schlemmer of New Milford, Marion Kouspos of Vero Beach, Fla., and George E. Miller of Danbury; a mother-in-law, Phoebe Schlemmer of New Milford; three grandchildren, Trey, Hunter and Dakota Foshay, all of Bethel; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Rita Miller.
Donations in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492; or to the American Cancer Society, 40 North St., Danbury, CT 06810.
Agnes Harmon, 82, was a New Milford resident
Agnes (Durkin) Harmon, 82, formerly of Danbury, died at her home in New Milford March 1. She was the wife of Fred E. Harmon. Mrs. Harmon was the daughter of the late Denis E. and Agnes (Shalvoy) Durkin. She was born in Danbury and graduated from Danbury High School in 1935. She and her husband lived in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., for 25 years and in Sun Lakes, Ariz., for 20 years and returned to this area in 1995. Besides her husband of 54 years, Mrs. Harmon is survived by a son, Peter F. Harmon, and his wife, Sharon, of Peekskill, N.Y.; a daughter, Patricia Totillo, and her husband, Peter, of Brookfield; a daughter-in-law, Betsy Harmon-Garach (widow of son Paul J. Harmon) of Roaring Spring, Pa.; eight grandchildren, Jonathon and Nicholas Harmon, Stephen, Brian and Gregory Totillo and Joshua, Mathias and Abigail Harmon; a brother, William Durkin of Sun Lakes; two sisters, Rita Ginty of Danbury and June Johnson of Milwaukee, Wis.; and many nieces and nephews. The Green Funeral Home of Danbury was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to New Milford VNA Hospice, 68 Park Lane, New Milford, CT 06776.
Maxine Carman, 68, was a New Milford resident
Maxine E. Carman, 68, of New Milford died March 1 at New Milford Hospital. She was born and raised in Washburn, Maine, a daughter of the late Herman and Elizabeth (Russell) Carman. She settled in the Danbury area and later in New Milford. Before her retirement, she had worked for many years at the Grand Union supermarket. Mrs. Carman was an active member of the First Assembly of God Church in Brookfield for over 40 years. She is survived by three daughters, Faith Snook of the Bronx, N.Y., Hope Stevenson and her husband, William, of Danbury, and Lynn Hinton and her husband, Sean, of Chambersburg, Pa.; a son, Robert Pedota of New Milford; two brothers, Wendel and Herman Carman of Washburn, Maine; eight grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. The Green Funeral Home in Danbury was in charge of arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the First Assembly of God Church, 133 Junction Road, Brookfield, CT 06804.
Thomas V. Esposito, 63, leaves relatives in area
Thomas V. Esposito, 63, a former Danbury resident who lived in Tucson, Ariz., for the past 17 years, died Feb. 25. He was the husband of Mary Lou (Costello) Esposito. Mr. Esposito was the son of the late Louis and Bernice (Banks) Esposito. He was semi-retired and most recently was employed as a golf starter at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz. Besides his wife, Mr. Esposito is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Doug Lombardi of Danbury; two granddaughters, Mandy Bowen and Kristin Lombardi of Danbury; a mother-in-law, Josephine Costello of Danbury; three sisters-in-law, Kathleen Nelson of Tucson, Anita Regan of New Milford and Barbara Esposito of Danbury; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by a brother, Donald Esposito. Cremation took place in Tucson.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Sarver Heart Center at The University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210109, Tucson, AZ 85721-0109; or to a charity or organization of one's choice.
