United States High School Yearbooks by County
Elizabeth Renehan Meurs
Elizabeth (Betty) Renehan Meurs, a resident of Clinton, died Wednesday, May 31 at Gaylord Respiratory Facility in Wallingford. She was 74. Born August 23, 1931 in Norwalk, she was the daughter of the late Dr. Laurence Arthur Renehan and Helen Murphy Renehan. Mrs. Meurs graduated from Darien High School and Barmore Junior College in New York. She was an active partner in Meurs Renehan, an international trading company.
She volunteered with the Milwaukee Children's Hospital, Milwaukee, Wisc.; Lad Lake Home for Boys, Oconomowoc, Wisc., and Friends of the Guilford Free Library, Guilford. She is survived by her husband, Arnoud C. Meurs of Clinton; two daughters, Mieke Elizabeth Meurs of Washington, D.C., and Kathryn M. Meurs of Viola, ID and one grandchild. She is also survived by one sister, Mary Renehan Wrightson of Keene, N.H. and several nieces and nephews.
She is predeceased by two brothers, Laurence Arthur Renehan and William N. Renehan. A memorial prayer service will be held on Tuesday, July 11, at 2 p.m., at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Emphysema/Elizabeth R. Meurs, American Lung Association, 61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006.
Doris Carlson Trimmer
Doris Carlson Trimmer, a Darien native, died May 16 at Parkview Community Center Hospital in Riverside, Calif. She was 80. Mrs. Trimmer was born April 22, 1926 in Darien, daughter of the late Harry Sigfried and Frances Abbott Carlson. She was a graduate of Darien High School and a parishioner of Noroton Presbyterian Church.
She is survived by sons, Robert C. Trimmer, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Keith A. Trimmer of Riverside, Calif.; two sisters, Virginia Capone of Stamford and Jeanne Ofiero of Bethel; two brothers, James A. Carlson, of Darien and Jon Carlson, of Coral Gables, Fla.; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband, John Trimmer and a son, David Trimmer. A memorial service will be held at the Noroton Presbyterian Church Chapel on June 24, at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Noroton Presbyterian Church's Youth Program.
Joseph H. Burchenal
A memorial service for Joseph Holland Burchenal, a former Darien resident, will be held Thursday, June 15, at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Darien. Mr. Burchenal, who moved to Hanover, N.H., in 2004 after living in Darien for 58 years, died March 8. He was 93.
James Charles Gartrell
James Charles Gartrell of Seymour, a former 35-year Darien resident, died Friday, June 2, in Seymour. He was 58. Born July 8, 1947 in Darien, he was the son of Dorothy R. Gartrell of Seymour and the late James Gartrell. Mr. Gartell had attended Southbury Training School in Southbury from 1961 through 1975. He also attended STAR in Norwalk. Mr. Gartell was an honorary member of Noroton Heights Fire Department in Darien and attended VARCA of George Hegyi Industries for 25 years.
He bowled with the Ripton School Parks and Recreation of Shelton and bowled in the Special Olympics for several years. Mr. Gartell was a member of Valley Voices, a self-advocacy group of young people, and the Derby Senior Center. In addition to his mother, he is survived by a brother, Thomas S. Gartrell of Ridgefield; a nephew and two nieces. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Lottie Peterson and Samuel Gartrell. A Mass of Christian burial was held Tuesday, June 6, at St. John's Church, Darien.
Burial followed at Spring Grove Cemetery, Darien. The Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, Darien, handled the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to VARCA Inc., George Hegyi Industries, 5 Coon Hollow Road, Derby 06418; to Connecticut Hospice 680 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton, 06484; or to Special Olympics Connecticut, 2666 State St., Suite 1, Hamden 06517.
Thomas P. McGraw
Thomas Per-Lee McGraw of Port Orange, Fla., and Sea Island, Ga., died Tuesday, May 30, of heart failure at his home in Sea Island. He was 55. Born May 22, 1951 in Bronxville, N.Y., he was the son of Harold W. McGraw Jr. of Darien and the late Anne P. McGraw. After attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., Mr. McGraw became a professional pilot and founded McGraw Aeronautical Systems, serving as chief executive officer.
He was also a graduate of Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, N.Y. Mr. McGraw was an active volunteer for a variety of youth and senior programs. In addition to his father, Mr. McGraw is survived by his wife, Teresa Elizabeth McGraw; a son, Thomas McGraw Jr. of Brunswick, Ga.; a daughter, Michelle of Brunswick.; two brothers, Harold McGraw III of Darien and Robert McGraw of Irvington-on-Hudson, N.Y.; and a sister, Suzanne of Darien.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 10, at 11 a.m., at Noroton Presbyterian Chapel, 2011 Post Road, Darien. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice. The Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, Darien, handled the arrangements.
Aurelia McKenna
Aurelia McKenna, formally of Darien, died at her home in South Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 10. She was born in Stamford on May 21, 1932, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Chester Kowalski. She was 76.
Her death followed a long battle with Alzheimer's. She retired in 1997 from United Hospital in Port Chester, N.Y., as assistant to the president.
She is survived by her husband Robert McKenna; her two sons and their spouses, Philip and Nancy Koba of Norwalk; and Wade and Nancy Koba of Ossining, N.Y. Her grandchildren include Rebecca, Emily, Miranda and Stephen. She was predeceased by her first husband Robert Koba.
Visiting hours will be today, from 10 to 11 a.m., at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien. A prayer service will be held today at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, Darien at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at St. Michael cemetery in Stratford.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Humane Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111.
Emeline Walker Fatherley
Emeline Walker Fatherley, of Holyoke, Mass., and a former longtime resident of Darien, died on Saturday, Jan. 3, in Holyoke. Born July 11, 1913, in New Haven, she was the daughter of the late Harriette Ward Walker and Claude Frederic Walker. She was 95.
Through her great-grandfather, Charles G. Morehouse, she was a direct descendent of Rev. Moses Mather, first pastor of the Church of Christ in Middlesex in 1744, later known as the United Church of Christ in Darien. Her grandfather, Rev. Charles Swan Walker, was ordained in the same historic church in 1871 where her mother was organist and choir director from 1927 to 1938.
Mrs. Fatherley attended Darien High School and graduated from Low-Heywood School in Stamford in 1931. She attended Lasell College and Wellesley College. In 1935, she married
Robert E. Fatherley and lived in Darien for 65 years where she was active in the Darien Historical Society, D.A.R. and served as president of the Womens' Association of the Darien United Church of Christ. She also was a teacher in the church's nursery school. Since 2005, she has lived in Massachusetts, where she passed away.
She is survived by three sons: Robert E. Fatherley Jr. of Westport; John A. Fatherley of Chicopee, Mass.; Richard
W. Fatherley of Kansas City, Kan.; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Darien, 14 Brookside Road, Darien, on Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m. A private family interment will be held at Spring Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the First Congregational Church of Darien (U.C.C.), 14 Brookside Road, Darien, CT 06820.
Sylvia V. Breglio
Sylvia V. Breglio, a resident of Darien, died on Jan. 11. She was the beloved wife of John (deceased); loving mother of Joan Perrella, John and Jeffrey Breglio; and wonderful grandmother to Eliza Mason, Nola Heller and Louis Perrella.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Diabetes Association.
PHILIP F. SPARTON
Philip F. Sparton of Darien died Saturday, Oct. 21, at Stamford Hospital. He was 77.
Born Sept. 17, 1929 in Stamford, he was the son of the late Phillip J. and Mildred M. (Maziarek) Sparton.
Mr. Sparton practiced law in Stamford for more than 40 years. He practiced mainly in the areas of trusts, small corporation and taxation. He graduated from the Choate School, Johns Hopkins University and Fordham University School of Law. His first professional association was with the Stamford law firm of Cummings & Lockwood in 1954, where he practiced until he entered the U.S. Navy during the Korean campaign. He completed the U.S. Navy Officers Candidate School and the School of Naval Justice and then served as a line officer in the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Toledo in the Pacific Fleet. He subsequently became the chief legal officer to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Training Commander in San Diego. Upon completion of active duty, Mr. Sparton returned to Stamford and opened his own office.
Mr. Sparton was chairman of the Building Committee that planned and then guided the construction and furnishing of St. Thomas More Church in Darien over a four-year period beginning in 1969. He was also a lay Eucharistic minister for the St. Thomas More parish.
He was a member of Darien's Zoning Board of Appeals for many years and was active in alumni affairs of the schools that he had attended.
He is survived by his sister, Anne S. Nigro of Greenwich and a niece, Suzannah K. Nigro also of Greenwich.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Thomas Church, 374 Middlesex Road, Darien on Friday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at St. John Cemetery, Darien. The Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, Darien is handling the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Connecticut Humane Society, 455 Post Road East, Westport 06880.
Janet Ellen Kisling
Janet Ellen Kisling of Castine, Maine, a former Darien resident, died Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. She was 62.
Born Dec. 11, 1943, in Columbus, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Albert G. and Gladys E. Kisling.
She graduated from The Ohio State University in 1965 and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She taught elementary education in the Philadelphia and New York City school systems
She is survived by a daughter, Sarah E. Creamer of Portland, Maine, a son, Andrew H. Creamer of North Grafton, Mass., a brother, James A. Kisling of Columbus, Ohio, and a niece, Robyn P. Kisling of Ocean Springs, Miss.
Memorial services will be held in Castine on Nov. 4 and in Darien at the United Methodist Church Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hackers for Hope, P.O. Box 4366, New York, NY 10163-4366 and The Ark Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 276, Cherryfield, ME 04622. Dolby Funeral Chapels of Windham, Maine handled the arrangements.
