United States High School Yearbooks by County
Elizabeth McGowan
Elizabeth V. McGowan, age 78, of Bethel, died on Thursday evening at the Danbury Hospital. She was the wife of the late John J. McGowan.
Mrs. McGowan was born in Scotland, February 21, 1921, a daughter of the late Patrick J. and Mary T. (McNaughton) Kennedy. She came to the United States with her family at the age of eight years and had been a resident of Bethel since 1968.
While residing in Bethel, Mrs. McGowan was a parishioner of the Church of St. Mary. She enjoyed spending time with her family, and especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mrs. McGowan is survived by two sons, John J. McGowan, and James P. McGowan, both of Bethel; two brothers, W. Thomas Kennedy and Raymond F. Kennedy, both of Bethel; one sister, Alice Seaman of Bethel; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
There are no calling hours.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, January 17th, at the Church of St. Mary, Bethel, at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Bethel.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Bethel VNA, 1 School Street, Bethel, CT 06801.
The Bethel Funeral Home, 215 Greenwood Avenue, Bethel, is in charge.
Henry H. Keller
Henry "Hank" H. Keller, 80, of Maple Lane, Danbury, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 2000, at Danbury Hospital. He was the husband of Suzanne (Ruziak) Keller.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on July 5, 1919, he was a son of the late Henry H. Sr. and Barbara (Baumer) Keller. He was a veteran of World War II, having served with the U.S. Army.
Mr. Keller had been employed as a manufacturer in the pharmaceutical industry, retiring after numerous years of service. After retirement, he had been employed by the Danbury Board of Education at South Street School.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Lynda S. Keller of Stamford; two sisters, Betty Lang of Groton and Marion Hernandez of Queens, N.Y.; a brother, Charles Keller of Groton; and several nieces and nephews.
A Gathering of Friends and Relatives will be held at the Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury, Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. Cremation will take place at the convenience of the family.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Danbury Animal Welfare Society, P.O. Box 971, Danbury, CT 06813.
Mary Herring Thompson
Mary Herring Thompson, 70, of 26 Erickson Road, New Milford, wife of Charles E. Thompson, died Thursday at her home.
Mrs. Thompson was born in New Milford, April 15, 1929, a daughter of the late Henry and Ethel Ziegler Herring.
She was a lifelong resident of New Milford.
Besides her husband, she is survived by two sons, Charles E. Thompson Jr. of New Milford and Ronald Thompson of Kent, Conn.; three daughters, Mary Pelletier and Donna Bryant, both of New Milford and Gail Barto of Dover Plains, N.Y.; a brother, Gordon Holister of Massachusetts, and a sister, Patricia Lavioe of Florida; 16 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in the Lillis Funeral Home, 58 Bridge St., New Milford. Interment will be in Center Cemetery, New Milford. Friends may call on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Timothy R. Brewer
Timothy R. Brewer, age 47, a Risk Manager for G.E. Capital in Danbury, died Wednesday January 12, 2000 in Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York City. Mr. Brewer was the husband of Christine (Orzek) Brewer and resided at 203 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Sandy Hook.
He was born in Coronado, Calif. July 6, 1952, a son of Robert and Mary Jane (Whigham) Brewer of Jeanette, Pa. Mr. Brewer was a graduate of St. Vincent College, Greensburg, Pa. He was employed by G.E. Capital the past 22 years. He was a resident of Sandy Hook 12 years.
In addition to his wife and parents, Mr. Brewer is survived by a son, Joseph R. Brewer of Sandy Hook; two daughters, Jennifer M. Brewer of Sandy Hook and Jillian L. Brewer of Monroeville, Pa.; two brothers, Ronald Brewer of Jeanette, Pa. and Jerry Brewer of Economy Boro, Pa.; his maternal grandmother, Thelma Whigham of Jeanette, Pa. and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Judy Brewer.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, January 15, 2000 at 10:00 a.m. from the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main St., Newtown and at 10:30 a.m. in St. Rose of Lima Church for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Trumbull. Friends may call Friday (today) from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Contributions may be made to: The Transplant Living Center, 235 E. 95th St., Normandy Court, Apt. 1J, New York, NY 10128.
Linda Bennett Lomento
Linda Bennett Lomento, 57, of 476 High St., Torrington, CT, died at home on Monday, January 10, 2000. She was the wife of John J. Lomento Sr.
Linda was born on May 17, 1942 in New Milford, CT, daughter of Margaret (Beatty) Cummings and the late Charles Bennett and step-daughter of Raymond D. Cummings. She was predeceased by her brother, Harold Bennett.
Linda won a beauty pageant in New Milford in 1956, titled "Dungaree Doll." She was an avid gardener and collected antiques. She will be remembered for her strength and sense of humor which she maintained during her brave battle with kidney disease.
She was the loving mother of her son, Guy White of New Milford, and her daughters, Desiree Sikora Dawn Hungerford, Heidi Carrozzo and Katina Fagnand, all of Torrington, Jaimie Harel of Mesa, AR; and Renee Hungerford of Falls Village, 15 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
Her sisters, Debra Cummings-Waldorf and Wendy Wassong, nieces Dana Plaxco, Brooke Bennett of California, and Sondae, Angela and Aimee and nephew Joshua, all of New Milford, will sadly miss her.
Funeral services were held at the United Methodist Church in Gaylordsville.
Contributions should be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut, 920 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06100.
Peter Serniak
Peter Serniak of Yonkers, N.Y. died on Wednesday, January 12, 2000 at age 84. Born on September 15, 1915 to Michael and Margaret (Churik) Serniak in Yonkers, N.Y. where he was raised and graduated from Saunders High School.
Mr. Serniak was a Plastic Molder for Otis Elevator for over 37 years, retiring in 1978. He also served his country during World War II, when he enlisted in the Army. He received the Purple Heart for being wounded twice in Italy. He also was a recipient of a Presidential Citation for his infantry involvement during the war.
On February 8, 1948 he married Alice Fesh in St. Nicholas Church in Danbury. She survives.
Mr. Serniak was a parishioner of St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church and was an avid fisherman and golfer.
Besides his wife, he is survived by his son, Peter of Southbury and was predeceased by Mildred Granith, Walter and Samuel Serniak.
Visiting hours will be at the Whalen & Ball Funeral Home, 168 Park Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. on Saturday, January 15th from 1 to 5 p.m. Parastias Services will be conducted on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Nelson L. Owen Sr.
Nelson L. "The Big O" Owen Sr., of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Pompano Beach, Florida, died on Jan. 12, 2000, at Rex Hospital, Raleigh, N.C.
Born in Danbury, CT, on July 28, 1931, he was the son of the late Katherine and Louis S. Owen.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Ross Owen, and three sons, Louis of Longview, Texas, Nelson Jr. of Woodbridge, N.J., and Glenn of Raleigh, N.C.; and a daughter, Nancy Owen Hill of Raleigh, N.C. He had six grandchildren. He also is survived by a sister, Marion Simon of Danbury, Conn. He had several nieces and nephews.
A private funeral was held by the family in Raleigh, N.C. A Memorial Liturgy will be conducted Sunday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony's Church, 17 Granville Ave., Danbury. Donations can be mailed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 189 Wind Chime Court, Suite 203, Raleigh, NC 27615.
Andrew Negre
Andrew Negre, 87, of 16 Fleetwood Avenue, Bethel, husband of Anna Negre, died on Tuesday evening, January 11, 2000, at Mediplex of Danbury.
Mr. Negre was born in Pennsylvania, January 21, 1912, had been an area resident for many years, and was a retired factory worker.
He was a member of St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church of Danbury.
The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in St. Nicholas Church with the Rev. Michael G. Popson officiating.
Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, Bethel.
Friends will be received at St. Nicholas Church, 13 Pembroke Road, Danbury, on Saturday after 11:30 a.m.
The Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home, 9-11 Granville Avenue, Danbury, is in charge of the arrangements.
Joseph Damato Jr.
Joseph A. Damato Jr., 58, of Norwalk, died Friday, Jan. 14, 2000, at the Greenwich Hospital. He was the husband of Joan Munger Damato.
Mr. Damato was born in Norwalk on Dec. 31, 1941, a son of Marion Cresci Damato of Norwalk and the late Joseph A. Damato Sr.
He was the owner of D & S Petroleum Tanks in Norwalk for 20 years. Mr. Damato attended Norwalk schools and was a 1961 graduate of Norwalk High School. He was a lifelong Norwalk resident.
Mr. Damato and his family also kept a part-time residence in Brookline, Vt., where he enjoyed hunting and was an avid snowmobiler and member of the Brookline Chapter of Vermont Association of Snow Travelers. He also enjoyed motorcycling and was a member of the Stamford Chapter of the HOG Motorcycle Assoc.
Besides his wife, he is survived by four daughters, Lori K. Damato of Norwalk, Lisa D. Frederick and her husband Brian of Norwalk, Dacia Coppola and her husband Richard of Norwalk, and Danielle K. Damato of Boston; a brother, Wayne Damato of R.I.; two sisters, Kathleen George of Fairfield and Charleen DeGrazio of Brookfield; 4 grandchildren, Leighann Lagana, Marc Coppola, Casey Frederick and Kylie Coppola; 3 aunts and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 11 a.m. at St. Jerome Church, 23 Half Mile Road, Norwalk, with burial following in St. John Cemetery. Friends may call Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Magner Funeral Home, 12 Mott Ave., Norwalk.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Lung Association, 12 Byington Place, Norwalk 06850.
Bob Melvin Bradley
On Jan. 8, 2000, Bob Melvin Bradley of Henderson, Nev., sadly passed away of a sudden illness. He was born on Dec. 30, 1940, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bob was a brilliant man who graduated from Arlington Heights High School, Fort Worth, in 1959. He continued his love of learning and attended Pomona College and the University of Texas. He received a bachelor's in Professional Studies and a master's in Marketing from Pace University in New York.
He was Publisher of Casino Executive Magazine, a magazine of Gem Communications in New York City. Bob took great pride in his work and received many recognitions for his dedication to his job, including the Jesse Neal award for publishing excellence. He worked in advertising for Quaker Oats Company in Chicago, Ill.; was Publisher of C-Store Business Magazine, of Butterick Publishing/Maclean Hunter in New York; Western Advertising Manager of Travel Weekly (Ziff-Davis/Murdoch/Reed); Director of Advertising; Publishing sales/marketing responsibility for the largest AAA Club (Automobile Club of Southern California) in the world. He was Justice of the Peace and on the Republican Town Committee in Ridgefield, Conn.
In addition to his outstanding professional career, he had a positive and pragmatic approach to life. He coached his sons and their friends in Pop Warner football; rooted for the Dallas Cowboys; loved a good game of golf; but his favorite was downhill skiing; he reveled in a challenging conversation, and always sought to know more.
Bob will be sadly missed by his loving and devoted wife of 38 years, Cynthia Loyce Bradley of Henderson; two sons, Rex Howard Bradley of Henderson and Sean Erin Bradley of New Milford, Conn.; a daughter by marriage, Juliette Grace Bradley; a granddaughter who adored him, Jessica Dean Bradley; a grandson, Tyler Brook Bradley, both of New Milford; his loving mother, Mary Alice Baker of Dallas, Texas; a brother, Rev. Bruce Bradley of Farmers Branch, Texas; five sisters who reside in the Texas area; and many friends and extended family who admired and loved him. He rejoins in spirit his father, Walter Bradley; his stepfather, Dr. Keith Baker, and an infant son, Scott Franklin Bradley.
The family requests memorial donations be made to the American Heart Association. Palm Mortuary/Eastern of Nevada handled funeral arrangements.
Charles Bartholomae
Charles Bartholomae, 80, of Stratford, and formerly of Yarmouth Port, Mass., and Madison, N.J., died Thursday, Jan. 13, 2000, at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport. He was the husband of the late Marjorie Desch Bartholomae.
He was born in Newark, N.J., and had lived in New Jersey most of his life before retiring to Cape Cod in 1980. He had been a Stratford resident for the past five years.
Before his retirement, Mr. Bartholomae had worked as a certified public accountant with the Public Service Electric and Gas Company of New Jersey.
He graduated with an undergraduate and an M.B.A. degree from Rutgers University, and was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a warrant officer with the Combat Engineers in Europe.
Mr. Bartholomae was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was active in many professional and civic organizations.
He is survived by his children, Judith C. Hueser and her husband John of Danbury, and Charles Bartholomae and his wife Louise E. of Weston; a brother, Thomas Bartholomae of Forked River, N.J.; four grandchildren, Charles Thomas Bartholomae, Stephen Hueser, Andrew Hueser, and Elizabeth Hueser; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2000 at 10 a.m. in the Chapel at Grace Lutheran Church, 150 Chapel St., Stratford. Interment with Military Honors will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery, Danbury. Friends may call Monday, Jan. 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Spear-Dennis & D'Arcy Funeral Home, 2611 Main St., Stratford.
Julia V. Connolly
Julia V. Connolly, age 63, of Putnam Lake, N.Y., died unexpectedly Jan. 14, 2000, at the Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel, N.Y. She was the widow of James J. Connolly, who died in 1978.
She was born Nov. 29, 1936, in the Bronx, NY, a daughter of the late Richard and Irene (Meyer) Morrissey. Her formal education was in the Bronx, where she graduated from Cathedral High School. She had lived in the Bronx and her family had a summer home in Putnam Lake, where they moved permanently in 1969.
Mrs. Connolly was a communicant of Sacred Heart Church in Putnam Lake and was a member of the Putnam Lake/Patterson Democratic Club. She had owned and operated Morrissey's Deli in Putnam Lake for many years before her retirement in 1982.
She is survived by a son, James J. Connolly, and a daughter, Eirene Farias, both of Putnam Lake; a sister, Patricia Lawlor of Putnam Lake; two grandchildren, Alexandra and Zachery Farias; and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, Haviland Drive, Putnam Lake. Burial will be in St. Lawrence Cemetery, Brewster, NY. Friends may call Sunday and Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Beecher Funeral Home, 1 Putnam Ave., Brewster.
