United States High School Yearbooks by County
Eleanor M. Shanahan
Eleanor M. Shanahan, 96, a former resident of Greenwich for more than 43 years, passed peacefully on April 22, 2010 at a retirement community in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
Eleanor was born on Jan. 17, 1914 to Joseph F. Breslin and Mary Grace Wall in New York City.
As a Greenwich resident, she was a member of the Women's Club and active in volunteer work for various organizations, including St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Meals on Wheels and the Red Cross. Shanahan was an avid traveler who visited every continent, and enjoyed gourmet cooking and sewing as hobbies. She will be remembered for her devotion to her family and kindness shown to all who knew her.
Shanahan is survived by her sister, Adelaide Ritter; four daughters: Dr. Maureen Debbas, Dr. Sheila Shanahan, Eileen Shanahan-Brown and Deirdre Shanahan; four grandsons; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband of nearly 51 years, James P. Shanahan.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated tomorrow at St. Michael the Archangel Church. Shanahan will be interred with her husband in St. Mary Cemetery.
William Levi Wearly
William Levi Wearly, 94, retired CEO and Chairman of the Board of Ingersoll-Rand Co., passed away in Carefree, Arizona on April 30, 2010. He resided in Greenwich, Minneapolis, Minn., and Carefree, Ariz.
Wearly was born in Warren, Indiana on Dec. 5, 1915, and graduated from Purdue University with a BSEE degree, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu in 1937.
In 1959 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering from Purdue, and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities in 1974 from Wilkes College. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and a member of American Institute of Mining Engineering, and held various patents for mining machinery and industrial manufacturing applications. He was awarded the CBE by Elizabeth II April 7, 1975.
Wearly also served as a director of other major corporations, including Bank of New York, ASARCO, Sperry Corporation, ASA Ltd., American Cyanamid, Babcock & Wilcox, McDermott Corporation, and Glenview State Bank.
During this period, he also served as chairman of the International Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers, chairman of the British North America Society, director of the Business Roundtable, chairman of the European-American Business Council, and served as a chairing member of The Grace Commission during the Reagan presidency. In Arizona he served on the Council of Emeritus Advisors, College of Business at Arizona State University.
An avid golfer, sportsman, ocean sailor and racer, Wearly's memberships included Indian Harbor Yacht Club, The Blind Brook Club, Desert Forest Golf Club. He was past president of the Clove Valley Rod and Gun Club.
He is survived by his wife Margaret; four children; nine grandchildren; and six great- grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Mary Jane.
A family visitation and viewing will be held tonight from 5 - 8 p.m., and a public memorial service will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Hansen Desert Hills Chapel, 6500 E. Bell Rd., Scottsdale, AZ.
Bernard Yudain
Bernard Yudain, 91, former Corporate Affairs Director of Time Inc., Greenwich resident for 73 years and longtime Greenwich Time managing editor and columnist, died on April 3, 2010 after a short illness in Greenwich.
Yudain, who wrote a regular column for Greenwich Time, where he served as managing editor during the 1940s, was a public-affairs consultant for much of his career and a well-known Greenwich figure.
At Time Inc., he held several positions, including assistant to the president, Washington manager and director of public affairs. In his biweekly column in Greenwich Time, Yudain's insights and observations made him the conscience of the community, whose transformation he often observed with wit and regret, particularly when its scandals and social mores made it the focus of the national media.
Born in Stamford, he arrived in Greenwich from his hometown of New Canaan as a cub reporter for Greenwich Time during the 1930s. Working with Wythe Williams, who became editor after a 25-year career as a European foreign correspondent, Yudain broke international news stories from his hometown paper.
"Occasionally, we'd get a reaction from Germany, a shortwave radio, Goebbels screaming and hollering, calling Williams all kinds of dirty names and Greenwich Time terrible names, " Mr. Yudain recalled in his oral history, Journalism in Greenwich.
"It was very exciting. Nobody outside of Byram had ever heard of us, and suddenly we were being denounced in Germany."
Yudain was also a stringer for The New York Times. A young protege of the "town fathers, " he broke the story in 1944 that the United Nations was preparing to build its headquarters in backcountry Greenwich, and his reporting ultimately caused the plan to be abandoned. Recalling the struggle, his mentor Frank Altschul erected a plaque at his home, Overbrook Farm, "Here the embattled Altschuls stood, 1944."
Mr. Yudain became managing editor of Greenwich Time and ran the paper with his brother, Ted. His management style, staffers recalled, was an "iron fist in a velvet glove."
During the war, Mr. Yudain was assigned to Stars and Stripes, the U.S. Army Air Force newspaper, in Italy. He returned from his assignment in a private Pan Am plane.
At the behest of his colleagues, Sam Pryor, Henry Luce and Prescott Bush Sr., he served for two years as deputy director of the Foreign Operations Administration under then-President Eisenhower.
After a stint with Time Inc., in New York, Mr. Yudain served as Luce's Washington deputy and head of the Washington Time Inc. office for 12 years.
He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as a member of the Executive Emergency Service Corps, the shadow government, which would be run out of the bunker at the Greenbrier in the event of a nuclear attack.
Yudain returned to New York as Corporate Affairs Director of Time Inc. under James Linen. Later, he served for two years as Vice President and CEO of New York Graphic Society, a Time subsidiary in Greenwich, before returning as a columnist to Greenwich Time and as a private political consultant.
He was a longtime member of the Stanwich Club, the Georgetown City Tavern Club and his beloved Indian Harbor Yacht Club.
He was a founder and "Chief Harpooner" of the storied Greenwich Harpoon Club.
He is survived by his wife, Jean Yudain; a son, David Yudain; surrogate godchildren Marion Margery Dawson Murphy, R. Alexander Dawson, Ann Stevens Hichak, Kristen Stevens and Carrie Stevens Darling; his younger brother Sidney Yudain, founder of Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper; his nephew Ted Yudain Jr.; five other nieces and nephews; his caregiver Aleksandra Piotrowski, RN, and many friends.
A memorial service was held on April 8 at Christ Church, Greenwich.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Family Centers of Greenwich.
DONNA ANNA SASSENBERG
Donna Anna Sassenberg Tallis, 47, daughter of Margaret and Richard Sassenberg, died Dec. 24, 2009, in California.
Born Dec. 3, 1962, in New York, she lived in Westport for many years and was a avid equestrian rider at the Fairfield County Hunt Club. Sassenberg attended Staples High School, Catherine Gibbs, Teikyo Post University and worked for Cendant Mobility (Coldwell Banker) for many years. She loved Connecticut and always remembered this as her true home.
Sassenberg is survived by her son, Connor Tallis; and brothers, Kurt Sassenberg and Brad Sassenberg; along with many friends and family.
A gathering to share good memories about Donna Sassenberg and to toast her life will take place at noon on Sunday, Jan. 17, at the Black Duck in Westport.
GENEVIEVE MARIE NICHOLS STONE
Genevieve Marie Nichols Stone, 99, of Westport, formally of New Canaan, died Dec. 28, 2009.
The youngest of five children, Nikki, as she was known, was raised in New Canaan and attended Normal School in Stamford, where she graduated with honors and was the Salutarian of her class. She received her bachelor's degree from The Teachers College of Connecticut (now named Central Connecticut College) in 1934.
Stone then taught at Center School in New Canaan until her retirement 50 years later. Many students still remember her fondly as their first grade teacher.
In 1938, she was married
to William "Bill" E. Stone, past vice president of The Westport Bank and Trust, who predeceased her in 1980. An avid bridge player, she was active in the Westport, Weston and Norwalk senior centers.
Stone will be remembered as a loving wife, caring teacher, and compassionate friend.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Saugatuck Congregational Church or Mid-Fairfield Hospice.
A memorial service will be held in the spring, at the Saugatuck Congregational Church, Westport; date and time to be announced.
The Harding Funeral Home of Westport is handling the cremation arrangements.
