United States High School Yearbooks by County
JERRY DAVIDOFF
Jerry Davidoff, 83, of Norwalk, died Nov. 7, 2009, at the Connecticut Hospice unit at Norwalk Hospital, of complications from encephalitis, a virus of the brain.
Davidoff was an attorney by profession, a former elected official in his long-time home of Westport, a champion of civil liberties and a nationally active lay leader in the Unitarian Universalist faith movement.
Born July 1, 1926, in New York City, the son of a physician, he was raised in the Sunnyside section of Queens, N.Y., and educated at Little Red School House in Greenwich Village, Bronx High School of Science, the Horace Mann School in New York City, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yale Law School.
While practicing law in New York City from 1950 to 1958, Davidoff met and in 1955 married
the former Denise Ellen Taft of Brooklyn, N.Y., who later owned an advertising agency based in Fairfield, and later in Westport. A former presiding officer of the national Unitarian Universalists as their elected "moderator, " Denise Davidoff is also a former board member of the Interfaith Alliance and a past chair of the Interfaith Alliance Foundation. She is now a senior consultant to Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago.
The marriage of Jerry and Denise Davidoff produced two sons. Douglass, born in 1957, lives in Arlington, Mass., and is a public relations and marketing consultant. John, born in 1960, lives in Evanston, Ill., and owns Davidoff Communications, a strategy, sales and marketing consultancy located in Chicago.
Relocating from Manhattan in 1958, Davidoff established a law practice in Westport that lasted until his retirement in 1996. During that time, he served the town for nine years as an elected member of the Board of Education on the Democratic ticket, including two years as chair, and served four years as an elected nonpartisan member of the Representative Town Meeting. He also served his colleagues in Westport as president of the Westport Bar Association. In 1960, he ran unsuccessfully for the Connecticut House of Representatives from Westport.
It was in his work for not-for-profits, especially religious organizations, that Davidoff advocated for civil rights and civil liberties, explored the possibilities for lay leadership in a faith characterized by congregational polity, and advocated for support of professional ministers to transform lives of their parishioners.
At the Unitarian Church in Westport, his religious home for nearly a half-century, Davidoff served as church newsletter editor, a Sunday School teacher, a member of the Building Committee, Ministerial Search Committee, Endowment Committee and Long Range Planning Committee. He was chair of the Ministerial Sabbatical Committee, and served twice on the church Board of Trustees.
In the Unitarian Universalist (UU) denomination, he was chair of the Election Review Committee, which was concerned with how denominational election campaigns might be improved. He was also chair of the Election Campaign Practices Committee, concerned with monitoring and mediating between candidates in contested denominational elections. He served a six-year term as a member of the Commission on Appraisal, and as such was a co-author of "Our Professional Ministry, " a study of the gatekeeping functions for UU ministry. He was a member for eight years of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, nationally responsible for credentialing UU ministers and, when necessary, disciplining them.
Davidoff was also a trustee of the Alban Institute, a consulting, publishing and research organization based in Herndon, Va., with the mission of assisting the development of churches and church leadership. He had served as secretary of the board and a member of its Executive Committee.
A founder and board member for both the Connecticut Women's Educational and Legal Fund and the Connecticut Divorce Mediation Council, he also served as board chair for the Westchester Institute for Training in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.
Davidoff was an avid sailor who owned three sloops during his life and cruised extensively on the coast of New England, from Maine to Connecticut, as well as in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean Sea. He played tennis and enjoyed words and literature. He had an extensive catalog of poems memorized and typically directed his children and other young adults to his copy of Webster's Third New International Dictionary to look up the meaning or etymology of words.
Frequently adorned with a bow tie until his retirement, Davidoff presented a professorial affect and did not lightly suffer lapses in grammar, word usage, nor courtesy, often loudly and aggressively correcting transgressors. On Sundays, he wore red socks in honor of Unitarian Universalist ministers, selecting red because many of his favorite UU ministers were formed under the crimson colors of Harvard University Divinity School.
With his wife, Denise, Davidoff was granted the Distinguished Service Award by the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2006.
He befriended young adults, many of whom were disaffected from their parents or had lost their parents due to early deaths. Later, he served as mentor to young adults entering the ministry. He had hundreds of friends across the country, many in UU churches, whom he met during the course of his work in the denomination as well as attendance at 40 years of annual UU general assemblies.
As a family patriarch, he paid special attention in his later years to relatives who could have felt disconnected from the family because of the loss of a parent early in life.
Davidoff was predeceased by his parents, Bernard and Mildred Davidoff of New York, Westport, and Palm Beach, Fla.; as well as by his brother, Paul Davidoff of Brooklyn, N.Y., a noted urban planner and social advocacy theorist.
In additon to his wife and sons, Davidoff is survived by his daughter-in-law, Jacki Gelb Davidoff of Evanston, Ill.; four grandchildren, Robert Davidoff and Sarah Ellen Davidoff of Cincinnati, and Joshua and Jasper Davidoff of Evanston; and Douglass Davidoff's partner, Marta Flanagan of Arlington, Va. He is also survived by four neices and nephews, Susan Davidoff of Newton, Mass.; Carla Davidoff of New Paltz, N.Y., Daniel Kirk-Davidoff of Columbia, Md., and Thomas Davidoff of North Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada; as well as two first cousins, Judith Dawidoff Fresco of New York City and Robert Dawidoff of Los Angeles.
A memorial service to recognize and remember Davidoff's life will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Unitarian Church in Westport, 10 Lyons Plains Road, with the Revs. Marta Flanagan and Olivia Holmes officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Living Tradition Fund of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Boston, to the Interfaith Alliance Foundation in Washington, D.C., or to the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund in Hartford.
MARGARET ELIZABETH DICKINSON
Margaret Elizabeth Dickinson, 95, of Fairfield, the wife of the late Eugene E. Dickinson, died Nov. 6, 2009, at St. Vincent's Medical Center.
Born in Newark, N.J., to the late Charles and Marion Kohlfuss, she was a long-time Fairfield resident.
Dickinson is survived by her son, Eugene R. Dickinson and his wife, Gail, of Lenoir, N.C.; her grandchildren, Debra Buonincontra and her husband, Jon, of Shelton, Eugene J. Dickinson and his wife, Rowena, of Ansonia, Cindi Dickinson of Fairfield, and Tamara and Jessica Dickinson, both of Lenoir, N.C.; her great-grandchildren, Gene and Amy Dickinson, Kristyn and Michael Buonincontra and Rachel and Meghan Dickinson; as well as her great-great granddaughter, Jaimie Brickett.
In addition to her parents and husband, Dickinson was preceded in death by her son, Robert E. Dickinson, and grandsons, Robert M. Dickinson and Andrew L. Dickinson.
The family greeted friends Sunday at the Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, 50 Reef Road, Fairfield. A Mass of Christian burial took place Monday at St. Pius X Church in Fairfield; interment followed in Park Cemetery.
ELNORA BARRY EVAN
Elnora Barry Evan, 89, of Trumbull, died Nov. 7, 2009, at Connecticut Health of Southport.
Wife of the late Geza Evan, she was born in Fairfield and spent her youth in the Tunxis Hill section with her extended family and friends. She did her part to support the World War II effort and worked at Remington Arms.
Evan enjoyed crocheting. She was a Trumbull resident for 50 years.
She was beloved by the staff at Connecticut Health of Southport and her family expresses gratitude for the care and love she received.
Survivors include her son, Joseph G. Evan and his wife, Frances, of Stratford; daughter, Lynn Marshall and her husband, Jay, and their family; daughter-in-law, Mary Evan of Woolwich, Maine; grandchildren, Peter Evan and his wife, Cheri, and their three children, Josephine, Nicholas and Leah; Thomas Evan, Sarah Evan and Michael Evan; brother, Frank Barry; sister, Angelina Jennings; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband Geza, she was predeceased by her son, Alan B. Evan, a brother, James Barry, and sister, Catherine D'Andrea.
Calling hours took place Monday in the Redgate-Hennessy Funeral Home, Main Street and Gorham Place, Trumbull. A Mass of Christian burial took place Tuesday at St. Theresa Church in Trumbull. Interment followed in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 372 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897-2523.
To send an online condolence, visit www.redgatehennessy.com
CARLA DELLAGATTA GALIN
Carla Dellagatta Galin, 82, of Fairfield, wife of the late Aloiz Galin, died Nov. 6, 2009.
Born in Gricignano, Italy, she was a resident of Fairfield and the Black Rock section of Bridgeport for most of her life.
Galin worked for Fairfield University for more than 25 years. An avid gardener, she enjoyed caring for her home and especially loved cooking for her family and friends.
Survivors include her son, John Galin of Milford; daughters, Anna Galin of Fairfield, and Maria Garamella and her husband, Michael, of Florida; and her grandchildren, John Galin Jr. and Samantha Galin, and Nick and Jennifer Garamella.
Calling hours were held Sunday in the Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, Fairfield. A Mass of Christian burial took place Monday in St. Ann's Church on Brewster Street in Bridgeport. Burial followed in Mt. Grove Cemetery.
FERN GERTRUDE HORWEDEL
Fern Gertrude (Perkins) Horwedel, 87, formerly of Fairfield and The Watermark at 3030 in Bridgeport, widow of Hersel E. (`Hopper') Horwedel, died Nov. 5, 2009, at Bridgeport Hospital, surrounded by her family.
Born July 25, 1922, in Springfield, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Lewis H. and Georgianna M. (Lafferty) Perkins.
Horwedel grew up in Springfield, Mass., and graduated from Technical High School in that city. She enjoyed her work at Albert Steiger's in Springfield, in Steiger's Specialty Hat Shop as a buyer, and later continued her work as a buyer for Howland's in Connecticut. Horwedel retired after 25 years at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield.
In her retirement years, she enjoyed much travel in the U.S. and abroad with her husband. More recently, she volunteered at the Mill Hill School in Southport.
Horwedel is survived by one brother, Lt. Col. U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Russell G. Perkins and his wife, Rosemary, of Southhampton, Mass.; three daughters and their husbands, Audrey and Joe Chomicz of Killingworth, Judy and John Magee of Uncasville, and Karen and Tom Salwocki of Berlin; nine grandchildren and several great-grandchildren; a god-daughter and niece, Elise Kenyon of North Kingstown, R.I.; niece, Jan Dicey of Kennebunkport, Maine; and numerous other nieces and nephews, several cousins and special friend Allen Loman of Laguna Beach, Calif.
She was predeceased by three sisters, Gertrude Perkins, Doris Gray and Georgia P. French; and three brothers, Lewis H. `Cy' Perkins Jr., Alfred J. Brouillette and James H. Johnston.
The family would like to express thanks to her aid Sophia at The Watermark at 3030 and Bridgeport Hospital's Tower 7 Hospice staff.
A memorial service to celebrate Herwedel's life will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Chapel at The Watermark at 3030 Park Ave., Bridgeport, with the Rev. Karen DeWerth-Wamester officiating. A reception will follow.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or a United Church of Christ project or outreach.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield.
