United States High School Yearbooks by County
Joseph McIlrath Sr.
Joseph F. McIlrath Sr. of Claremont Terrace, Danbury, died yesterday at Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport. He was 66.
Mr. McIlrath was the husband of Hazel Bock McIlrath.
He was born in Danbury, Jan 31, 1932, a son of the late William A. and Florence Harmon McIlrath.
Mr. McIlrath was a lifetime Danbury resident who worked as a self-employed general contractor. A graduate of Henry Abbott Regional Technical High School, he served the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 as a sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Joseph F. Jr. of South Windsor and Mark E. of Rutherfordton, N.C.; two daughters, Colleen Cavo of Danbury and Theresa McIlrath of Glastonbury; two brothers, William J. of New Milford and Leo E. of Newtown; a sister, Rita Murphy of Danbury; five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Lung Association, ``Asthma Research,'' 45 Ash St., Hartford 06810 or to Catholic Family & Community Services, 30 Main St., Danbury 06810.
CALLING HOURS: Today, 5 to 8 p.m., Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury.
SERVICES: Tomorrow, 10 a.m., Central Christian Church, 71 West St., Danbury, with the Rev. Leo E. McIlrath and the Rev. Crawford Harmon officiating. Burial in St. Peter's Cemetery, Danbury.
Randy Belot
Danbury native Randy Belot of Waterbury died Tuesday at Connecticut Hospice in Branford. He was 37.
Mr. Belot was born in Danbury, June 20, 1960, a son of Robert Belot of Prospect and the late Barbara Joyce Peck Belot.
Besides his father, he is survived by his stepmother, Laura Silva of Waterbury; a brother, William Robert Belot of Danbury; two sisters, Barbara Jean Belot of Litchfield and TammiAnn Belot of Naugatuck; and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in his memory may be made to Connecticut Hospice, 61 Burban Drive, Branford 06405.
SERVICES: Memorial service, Monday, 11 a.m., Danbury United Methodist Church, 5 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury, the Rev. James Stinson officiating. Arrangements by Tomlinson Homestead of Danbury.
Jack Brown
Jack Rucker Brown of Cartersville, Ga., father of Nancy Schmitz and grandfather of Karl and Erik Schmitz, all of Danbury, died Wednesday at Starcrest Nursing Home in Cartersville.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Pittman Park United Methodist Church Building Fund, Fair Road, Statesboro, Ga. 30458.
Services and burial will be in Georgia. The Owen Funeral Home of Cartersville and Hodges-Turner Funeral Home of Statesboro are in charge of arrangements.
Robert J. Mannion Jr.
Robert J. Mannion Jr., 33, vice president of Mannion Construction in Danbury, died Tuesday in Ridgefield.
Mr. Mannion, of 174 West Avenue Extension, Danbury, was the husband of Karen Foss Mannion.
Born in Danbury, Aug. 4, 1964, he was a son of Robert J. Mannion Sr. and Ann Shanley Mannion, both of Ridgefield.
Mr. Mannion graduated from Ridgefield High School in 1982 and attended Dean Junior College and Marymount College.
A lifelong area resident, he was a member of St. Gregory the Great Church in Danbury.
Besides his wife and parents, he is survived by two sons, Ryan and Connor, both of Danbury; two sisters, Maura E. Edelmann of Danbury and Siobhan M. Conti of New Fairfield; two nieces; and two nephews.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Robert J. Mannion Children's Education Fund, c/o Maura M. Edelmann, Trustee, 12 Cel-Bret, Danbury, CT 06810.
CALLING HOURS: Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Kane Funeral Home, 41 Catoonah St., Ridgefield.
SERVICES: Monday at 10 a.m., a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary's Church, Ridgefield, with the Rev. Robert P. Morrissey, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in Ridgebury Cemetery, Ridgefield.'
Edwin Kolwicz
Edwin C. Kolwicz died Thursday at his Bethel home at the age of 80.
Mr. Kolwicz was the husband of Alice Fancher Kolwicz.
He was born in Bridgeport, Sept. 14, 1917, a son of Walter and Cecilia Kolwicz. He graduated from Danbury schools, and the Old Hawleyville Road resident moved to Bethel 59 years ago. He worked as a meat cutter at the Village Market in Wilton for 20 years, and after retiring, worked as a courier for eight years for the Danbury Savings & Loan Association. He was active in the Housatonic Valley Antique Car Club and was a member of St. Thomas Episcopalian Church and the Masonic Eureka Lodge, both in Bethel.
Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons, James E. of Columbus, Ohio, Richard H. of Bethel and Kenneth R. of Brookfield; four brothers, Eugene of Missoula, Mont., Louis of Fort Kent, Maine, Emil of Cleveland, Ohio, and Victor of Danbury; six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Hanahoe Clinic, Main Street, Danbury 06810.
CALLING HOURS: Sunday, 3 to 7 p.m., Cornell Memorial Home, 247 White St., Danbury.
SERVICES: Monday, 11 a.m., St. Thomas Church, Greenwood Avenue, Bethel, the Rev. David Pople, rector, officiating. Burial in Elmwood Cemetery, Bethel.'
George G. Wright
George G. Wright, 79, a retired material handler at the Gilbert and Bennett Manufacturing Company in Georgetown, died Thursday at Heritage Heights Care Center in Danbury.
He was the husband of Barbara J. Hyatt Wright.
Mr. Wright was born in Houston, Texas, July 24, 1918, a son of Joseph and Beryl Green Wright, and was a Danbury resident most of his life.
During World War II, he had served with the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater and was stationed in Hawaii during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was a member of the Brookfield Post 10201 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
After the war, he was employed with the General Electric Company in Bridgeport and served there for more than 23 years. He later worked at Heli-Coil Corporation in Danbury before accepting his position at Gilbert and Bennett.
He was a member of the United Methodist Church of Danbury.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, G. Albert Wright Sr., and a daughter, Epha Wright, both of Danbury; a brother, Edwin Wright, and a sister, Jean Weeks, both of New Preston; four step-children, Gary Mankes, David Mankes, Shirley Mankes and Sharon Mankes, all of New York; three grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He also is survived by his previous wife, Grace Clemens Wright. He was predeceased by a granddaughter, Darlene Marie Wright.
CALLING HOURS: Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Tomlinson Homestead, 336 Main St., Danbury.
SERVICES: Monday at 1 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 5 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury, with the Rev. James Stinson officiating. Burial will follow with full military honors at the veteran's section of Wooster Cemetery, Danbury.
Mary Ellen Stevenson
Mary Ellen Millard Stevenson, 70, a Danbury resident since childhood, died Friday at Danbury Hospital.
Mrs. Stevenson, of 35 Saddle Rock Road, Danbury, was the wife of the late Howard Stevenson.
Born in Anandale, N.J., March 28, 1928, she was a daughter of Leonard F. and Susan M. Bishop Millard. She attended Danbury schools.
Survivors include a son, Larry G. Stevenson of Danbury; a daughter, Nancy E. Stevenson of Danbury; a brother, Sonny Millard of Massachusetts; a sister, Susie Millard of New Milford; and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 300 Research Parkway, Meriden, CT 06450.
CALLING HOURS: Tuesday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury.
SERVICES: Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Green Funeral Home in Danbury. Burial will be in Wooster Cemetery, Danbury.
Frederick E. Wieland
Frederick Eugene Wieland, 66, brother of Rosemarie Feeley of Danbury, died Sunday at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in Brookhaven, N.Y.
Mr. Wieland, of Wading River, N.Y., had been employed by the New York Telephone Company for 40 years, retiring in June 1990.
Besides his sister, he is survived by three sons, Fred of McLean, Va., Robert P., of Wading River, N.Y., and Stephen of Mineola, N.Y.; an aunt, Magda Wieland of California; and several cousins.
Prayer services were conducted Wednesday at the Rocky Point Funeral Home in Rocky Point, N.Y. Burial followed in Calverton National Cemetery.
Madeline Kalil Najam
Madeline Kalil Najam, 82, a retired supervisor of the American Cyanamide Company, died Friday at Danbury Hospital.
Mrs. Najam, of 99 Osborne St., Danbury, was the wife of the late Joseph P. Najam.
Born in Lawrence, Mass., Aug. 19, 1915, she was a daughter of Nimey and Marsha Rahal Kalil. She attended schools in Metheun, Mass., and Utica, N.Y.
Mrs. Najam had lived most of her adult life in Danbury. From 1983 to 1992, she lived in Las Vegas, Nev.
Mrs. Najam retired from American Cyanamide in 1973, after more than 20 years of service.
She was a member of St. Anthony Maronite Church, and past president of the St. Anthony Ladies Guild, the Young Women's Syrian-Lebanese Society and the Danbury Democratic Party.
Surviving are three daughters, Arlene Oravetz, Marion Antonios and Gail Najam, all of Danbury; a sister, Emily Kalil Merck of Danbury and Cleveland, Ohio; three grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in her memory may be made to St. Anthony Maronite Church, 17 Granville Ave., Danbury, CT 06810.
CALLING HOURS: Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury.
SERVICES: Monday at 10 a.m., the Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Anthony Maronite Church with the Rev. Joseph Moussa officiating. Burial will be in St. Peter Cemetery.
Marion Tolles
Marion Tolles, 96, a retired seamstress, died March 19 at Park Manor Nursing Home in Waterbury.
Mrs. Tolles, of 3 Cypress St., New Fairfield, was the wife of the late Harold Tolles.
She was born in Norwalk, July 13, 1901, a daughter of Michael and Margaret Gormley.
A resident of Norwalk before moving to New Fairfield, she was a member of the Eastern Star and had worked as a seamstress for most of her life.
Surviving is a son, Donald Petersen of New Fairfield.
A graveside service was conducted at Fairfield Memorial Park in Stamford. The Tomlinson Homestead, 336 Main St., Danbury, was in charge of arrangements.
Eleanor DeMond
Eleanor DeMond, 92, a Danbury native, died Monday at Mediplex of Danbury.
Mrs. DeMond, of 385 Laurel Gardens, Danbury, was the wife of the late William DeMond.
She was born in Danbury, May 11, 1905, a daughter of Walter and Mary Louise Couch Johnson.
For many years, Mrs. DeMond worked at Young's Fur Shop. She also worked as a domestic for several local doctor's offices.
She was a member of St. James' Episcopal Church and the Altar Guild.
Her survivors include two sons, George M. Toran Sr. of Danbury and William Harrison DeMond Jr. of Bethel; a daughter, Dolores DeMond Brandon of Danbury; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
CALLING HOURS: Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Tomlinson Homestead, 336 Main St., Danbury.
SERVICES: Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. James' Episcopal Church, 25 West St., Danbury, with the Rev. Michael Coburn officiating.
Helen Elliott
Helen Wagner Elliott, a resident of Ridgefield for almost 50 years, died Monday at the Glen Hill Convalescent Center in Danbury.
Mrs. Elliott, of 25 Gilbert St., Ridgefield, was the wife of the late Will L. Elliott. She lived in California before moving to Ridgefield.
Born in Boston, Mass., she was a daughter of William W. and Elmina Beauchamp Wagner.
Mrs. Elliott was a member of St. Mary's Church in Ridgefield.
She leaves no immediate survivors.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association, 90 East Ridge, Ridgefield 06877.
There are no calling hours.
SERVICES: Wednesday at 10 a.m., a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary's Church in Ridgefield. Burial will follow in Hillside Cemetery, Wilton.
The Kane Funeral Home, 41 Catoonah St., Ridgefield is in charge of arrangements.'
Irma J. Hancock
Irma J. Freyvogel Popper Hancock, 92, a native of France and a former longtime Redding resident, died Wednesday at 3030 Park in Bridgeport.
A resident of Bridgeport since 1987, Mrs. Hancock was the wife of the late John Hancock.
She was born in Chaumerd, France, Feb. 11, 1906, a daughter of Victor and Louise Brossier Case.
After coming to the United States in the 1930s, Mrs. Hancock first settled in New York and then moved to Redding where she lived for 40 years. She also maintained a residence in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., before moving to Bridgeport. She spent many summers in France.
She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Redding.
Mrs. Hancock is survived by a sister, Germaine Pereira of LaMotte Beuvron, France; and a nephew and two nieces.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Christ Episcopal Church, Cross Highway, Redding Ridge 06876.
THere are no calling hours.
SERVICES: Wednesday at 1 p.m., graveside services at Redding Ridge Cemetery in Redding with the Rev. Kent Smith officiating. The Bethel Funeral Home of Hull Funeral Service, 215 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, is in charge of arrangements.
