Anthony Domino

Anthony J. Domino, a 14-year resident of Stamford and a former Darien resident for over 20 years, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, Nov. 4, in Stamford. Born on Oct. 17, 1938, in Buffalo, N.Y., he was the son of the late Anthony Vincent and Antonina (DeFrancesco) Domino. He was 75.

Anthony graduated from Canisius High School in 1956. His entrepreneurial traits emerged early and at the age of 13, he started his own taxidermy business. He began his adult working career with NY Life Insurance Co. as an advisor and was quickly promoted to management. After 20 years, he joined National Pension Service, developing an expertise in pension planning: where he flourished until retiring at age 62. During this period he became a top producer for The Guardian.

He served on the Board of Trustees for Canisius High School. He enjoyed boating, hunting, was a very accomplished traveler, and was an avid Buffalo Bills fan.

Anthony is survived by his three beloved children, Anthony J. Domino, Jr. and his wife, Meg, of New Canaan; Lisa J. Ioli and her husband, Marc, of Darien; and Susan J. Dorazio and her husband, Joe, of Newtown. He is also survived by his former spouses, Carolyn Romano and Maureen Domino.  His particular pride and joy were his eight grandchildren, Nicholas, Alyssa Rose, Jaxon, Michaela Domino; Marc, Jr., Lauren Ioli; and Anthony and Johnny Dorazio. He is also survived by his sister, Maria Tupay and her husband, William, of Williamsville, N.Y.; and his companion, Elaine Spencer.

The family will receive friends at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien, on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 4 to 8. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John R.C. Church, 1986 Post Road, Darien, on Friday, Nov. 8, at 11. Entombment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Greenwich.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Anthony J. Domino Charitable Foundation, a scholarship fund in honor of his parents for Jesuit High school students, c/o Anthony J. Domino, Jr., 83 Long Lots Road, New Canaan, CT 06840.

Walter Lowrie Fisher, 88, died Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Kendal at Hanover, N.H. He was born in Stamford and raised his family in New Canaan.

He graduated from Deerfield Academy in 1943 and spent four years in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II in the Pacific arena.

He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1950 during which he became an All-American lacrosse player and captain of his team.

He was a partner in a family cattle ranch in Oklawaha, Fla., for several years, then with a growing family returned to New Canaan and joined the Chemical Bank in New York City.

In 1980 he moved to Mystic and joined the Equitable Insurance Co. and resided in Mystic for 20 years.

After retiring in 2000, he moved to Kendal at Hanover and Orford, N.H., where he built a small farm raising registered miniature horses.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, the former Katharine Blodget of Hanover, N.H.; four daughters, Constance Shrecengost of Martinez, Calif., Sarah Connors of Franconia, N.H., Lowrie Ann Leahy of Neenah, Wis., and Katharine Simpson, also of Neenah, Wis.; four grandsons, Walter Hatcher, Braddock and Jeffrey Simpson and Nicholas Connors.

He is also survived by his brother, William Fisher of Calif.; and two sisters, Frances Wilson of Florida and Alice Blood of Montana.

He was predeceased by his older brother, Bradley Fisher.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2:30, at the Lyme Congregational Church, Lyme, N.H.

To view an online memorial and or send a message of condolence to the family, please visit rand-wilson.com

Arrangements are under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, N.H.

Willard B. Seymour, 87, of New Canaan, died Saturday evening, Nov. 9, at Greenwich Woods Health Care Center.

Born in Chattanooga, Tenn., on April 13, 1926, and living most of his life in Pound Ridge, N.Y., he was the son of the late Samuel and Marjorie Scofield Seymour. Willard was a World War II U.S. Navy veteran, he worked most of his life in the auto body repair business. He was a member of the New Canaan VFW and the Coast Guard Auxiliary

“Bill loved his family, friends and his dog friends,” his family said. “Bill’s hobbies were metal detecting, local history, antiques and restoring cars. He will be greatly missed by all of us.”

Mr. Seymour is survived by four children, Jeffrey Seymour of Pound Ridge, N.Y., Willard B. Seymour, Jr. of Honesdale, Pa., Gunnar Wheeler of Dover Plains, N.Y., and daughter Joanne Halligan of South Salem, N.Y.; seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and a brother Dorin Seymour of New York City.

A funeral Service will be held on Wednesday , Nov. 13, at 11, at Hoyt Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 199 Main St., New Canaan. Burial will follow in Lakeview Cemetery. Calling hours are Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 4 to 8.

For online condolences and directions visit HoytFuneralHome.com.

Anne Wigglesworth Wright died on Friday, Nov. 8, at home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. She was born on her parents’ dairy farm on Sept. 28, 1924, to Sarah Parkman Rackemann and Edward Wigglesworth of Boston and Topsfield, Mass.

She spent her early years on Meredith Farm in Topsfield and on Chestnut Street in Boston and attended Beaver School. Upon graduation from the Brownmoor School in Santa Fe, N.M., she returned to Boston where she volunteered for the American Women’s Voluntary Services during World War II. Following the war, she worked for Paul Newsome & Co. until her marriage to Whitney Wright of Brookline & Hyannis Port, Mass., in 1946.

Once her children were in school, Mrs. Wright volunteered for many years at the Dedham Women’s Exchange, a non-profit gift shop benefiting local education and philanthropic organizations. A truly delightful woman, she enjoyed irony and was not above playing a prank. She loved an adventure, be it walking in the deep woods or traveling throughout South America and Europe. An avid walker, gardener, golfer and reader of history and current events, she was happiest in Hyannis Port. The sky is a bit darker tonight as one bright, sparkling star has been dimmed.

Mrs. Wright leaves her son Whitney P., of Cummaquid, Mass.; his former spouse, Joan Maley Wright of Bourne, Mass.; two daughters, Elisabeth (Lisa) of Larkspur, Calif., and Fanny Moran (David) of New Canaan; as well as two grandsons, a step-granddaughter, and her sister, Mary McAdoo of Lexington, Mass. Her grandson, Prescott M. Wright, died in December 2012.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 1 o’clock at The Federated Church, 320 Main St., Hyannis, Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cape Cod Hospital Foundation, Box 370, Hyannis, MA 02601 or VNA Hospice of Cape Cod, 434 Rte. 134, Suite D-3, South Dennis, MA 02660 or to the charity of one’s choice.

Rear Admiral Robert C. Austin

Rear Admiral Robert C. Austin, the father of former New Canaan teacher Susan Austin, died earlier this month.

He was born on Sept. 5, 1931, in Cleveland, Ohio. After graduation from Maury High School in Norfolk, Va., he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He obtained a competitive fleet appointment to the Naval Academy and was commissioned in June, 1954. After attending U.S. Submarine School, he was assigned to the USS Thornback. He attended the Naval Post Graduate School and earned a master’s of science degree in physics in 1963.

He attended Nuclear Power Training School and served on the USS Thornback, USS Grampus, USS Triton, and the USS John Adams. He then was commanding officer of the USS Finback from 1968 through 1972. After command, he was the prospective commanding officer instructor for the Commander U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Rear Admiral Austin then commanded Submarine Development Squadron Twelve and the Naval Submarine School in Groton, from 1974 to 1978. He returned to serve as chief of staff Submarine Atlantic Fleet where he was selected for flag rank in January, 1980. Rear Admiral Austin was assigned as deputy commissioner, US Component of the US USSR Standing Consultative Commission and as director for International Negotiations on the Plans and Policy Directorate.

Rear Admiral Austin served as the chief of Naval Technical Training, followed by his return to Naval Postgraduate School where he served as superintendent until he completed active duty in 1989. He was honored to serve his country and truly relished his military career where he was awarded many decorations and medals, his family said.

He married Joyce Ann Bisese, his wife of 49 years, on April 22, 1959. She predeceased him in 2006.

His daughter, Susan Austin, taught in all the New Canaan Schools for 22 years before becoming a principal in Monroe. She is now the associate superintendent of schools in Stamford, and lives in Shelton.

Rear Admiral Austin is also survived by his other children, James and Tamara Austin of Ledyard, Robert and Jean Austin of Yorktown, Va., and Cecelia and Jamal Noorzoy of Pebble Beach, Calif.; 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Calling hours will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Byles-Groton Memorial Home, 310 Thames St., followed by a prayer service and a reception at a location to be determined.

Karen McKenna Aylward

Karen McKenna Aylward, 66, a resident of New Canaan and Boynton Beach, Fla., died Saturday, Nov. 9, in Norwalk Hospital after a brief illness, with her loving family by her side. She had lived in New Canaan for over 40 years.

Born in San Mateo, Calif., May 24, 1947, she was the daughter of the late Robert E. and Jeanne S. McKenna of San Jose, CA. Karen was the wife of Thomas J. Aylward IV.

She attended San Jose State University, the University of Oklahoma and the University of San Diego. Following college she served as a flight attendant with United Airlines, based in Chicago where she met her husband.

She and her husband moved to New York City in 1971 and two years later settled in New Canaan. In her early days in New Canaan she worked for Montessori International as a graphic designer and was an active member of the Junior League. The family moved to Seoul, Korea, in 1981. There, she served as chairman of the Seoul International Women’s Association and was also a board member of the American Women’s Association. She also volunteered with the Red Cross working with the U.S. military. Always an excellent cook, she was asked to do an English language culinary series on Korean television.

Upon returning to New Canaan in 1986, she continued her volunteer work with the Junior League and became active with Norwalk Community College. There she served as a member of the Board of Trustees for a number of years and was involved with several fund raising benefits that significantly contributed to the college’s endowment fund.

She was also a past president of the Junior League Sustainers and was an active member of the New Canaan Sewing Group, involved in craft work, something she enjoyed immensely and at which she excelled.

In addition to her husband, Karen is survived by her daughter, Courtney Maple Aylward-Jahn of Summerville, S.C.; her son, Thomas J. (Tucker) Aylward V of Boynton Beach, Fla.; her two brothers, Robert E. McKenna Jr. of Monrovia, Calif., and Michael G. McKenna of Oakland, Calif.; her sister, Patricia McKenna Andrade of Broken Arrow, Okla., and her cherished granddaughter ,Elizabeth Jean (Lilly) Aylward-Jahn.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 11, at St. Aloysius Church, New Canaan. Interment will be private. The family will receive friends at the Hoyt Funeral Home, 199 Main St, New Canaan on Friday evening from 4 to 8.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Norwalk Community College Foundation (188 Richards Ave., Norwalk, CT 06854-1655). For online condolences and directions visit HoytFuneralHome.com.

Darlene McConaghy Johnson of Richmond, Va., a former New Canaan resident, passed away on Nov. 11, after a long and courageous battle with ovarian cancer. 

Darlene McConaghy Johnson

She is survived by her children, Charles, Andrew and Emily; husband, Charles; mother and father, Daniel and Adele McConaghy; sister, Rita DiSalvo; and brother, Daniel McConaghy.

Darlene, 55, was born in Long Beach, Calif., and was raised in North Andover, Mass. She graduated from Emmanuel College in Boston  with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received her master’s degree in urban policy from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y.

She worked in the Falmouth, Mass., selectmen’s office where she meet her husband, Charles, and subsequently held several management positions with increasing responsibility in the New York City Transit Authority.

She was passionate and active in numerous volunteer and civic organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Darlene was vice president of the New Canaan-based humanitarian organization Voices of September 11th, where she provided support to 9/11 families, rescue workers, and survivors.

A burial service will be held Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2, at St. Anthony’s Church, 167 E. Falmouth Highway, East Falmouth, Mass., with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the University of Virginia in memory of Darlene M. Johnson for the Darlene M. Johnson Scholarship Fund, PO Box 400807, Charlottesville, VA  22904.

Joan Hallstrom Johnson

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Nov. 16, for Joan Hallstrom Johnson, a former longtime New Canaan resident who died in Naples, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 26.

The wife of Raud Johnson, Mrs. Johnson taught in New Canaan Schools and was member and volunteer at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church here. Click here to read Mrs. Johnson’s complete obituary, which was first published last week.

A memorial service will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in New Canaan on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 11, with a reception to follow in the church’s Morrill Hall. Contributions may be made in Joan’s memory to either The Salvation Army/Heartland Division, 401 Northeast Adams St., Peoria, IL 61603; or to the Wycliffe Bible Translators, Acct. No. 222412, P.O. Box 628200, Orlando FL 32862.

Ralph Royal Jenney

Ralph Royal Jenney, 95, of McLean, Va., a former New Canaan resident, died peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 4:15 p.m.

Ralph was the loving father of Lucinda Kingsbury Jenney, Rafe Atterbury Jenney and Charles Powers Jenney; and loving stepfather of David Scott Benford, Stephen Yarrow Benford, Melissa Anne Nixon Benford Bosted and Edward de Jong Benford.

Ralph was the son of the late Lee Royal and Marion Harding Jenney and brother of the late Walter Fessendon Jenney.

He is survived by his loving wife, Olivia Y. Jenney; sister, Florence Jenney Hume, of Louisville, Ky.; and by nine grandchildren, Marion, Hannah, Owen, Sam, Max, Anna, Nick, Alex and Ben. His first marriage to Judy Atterbury ended in divorce.

Ralph and his family lived in New Canaan, off of Silvermine Road, for about 20 years, from 1960 to 1980.

Relatives and friends are invited to St. John’s Episcopal Church in McLean, Va., for a celebration of Ralph’s life at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26. St. John’s Episcopal Church is at 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean, Va. A service of interment will be held in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass., on Dec. 11 at 2.

The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to NIH, National Institute on Aging — Alzheimer’s Research. Fond memories of Ralph and online condolences may be offered to the family at MoneyAndKing.com.

Margaret Jean “Muggs” Wilford

Margaret Jean “Muggs” Wilford, 86, of Vero Beach, Fla., passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Margaret (nee Anderson) was born May 27, 1927, in Ames, Iowa. She graduated from Burlington High School in Iowa in 1944 and Burlington Hospital School of Nursing in 1948. She was married to Joseph Benjamin Wilford (deceased) for 35 years.

She was a former resident of New Canaan, from 1972-1991, and retired from Norwalk Hospital as a medical records coder. Muggs supported her communities as a volunteer EMT, worked with the American Red Cross, Girl Scouts of America and the American Cancer Society.

Muggs was a resident of Vero Beach (Sea Oaks) since 2001 where she was an active community member. She was an avid bridge player and tennis fan, and volunteered in the emergency department at the Indian River Memorial Hospital. Muggs was a member of the Community Church of Vero Beach.

She leaves behind six daughters, Teri Wilford Wood (John), Jody Wilford Wilkins (Mike), Sheryl Wilford Tellier (Dave), Cindy Wilford Kemp (Bert), Janell Wilford Hinricher (Don) and Belinda Wilford Santiso (Dan); 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held in the coming months at the Community Church in Vero Beach.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Red Cross, The Community Church of Vero Beach, or the American Cancer Society.

—The Family

Dorothy B. Fuller of New Canaan, who served with the Red Cross in Europe during World War II, died Thursday, Nov. 14, at Waveny Care Center surrounded by her family. She was 95.

Born on Nov., 5, 1918, in New York City to the late Edward and Elizabeth Barrett, Mrs. Fuller attended the Nightingale Bamford School and the Child Education Foundation. She taught at the Allen-Stevenson School for Boys for three years and then served in Europe during World War II with the American Red Cross.

In February 1952, she married her husband of 54 years, Ernest M. Fuller. A year later, they moved to New Canaan where they raised their family and were parishioners of St. Aloysius Church and later, St. Thomas More Church of Darien.

Mrs. Fuller was a member of the New Canaan Sewing Group and the Garden Club of New Canaan. She had a deep love and knowledge of flowers, her family said, and for many years served as a horticultural judge of the Garden Club of America until she became a judge emeritus.

She is survived by two daughters, Faith B. Fuller of Wallingford and Elizabeth Dow Fuller of New York City; a son, the Rev. Samuel A. Fuller, O.F.M.Cap., of St. Pius X Church in Middletown; a brother, Edward M Barrett of Atlantic Beach, Fla.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Fuller was predeceased by her daughter, Susan A. Fuller; and her sister, Virginia Rand, formerly of Darien.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 11, at St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan. Burial will be private.

Arrangements were made by Hoyt Funeral Home, 199 Main Street, HoytFuneralHome.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the New Canaan Sewing Group, P.O. Box 215, New Canaan, CT 06840

G. Moffett Cochran, founder, chairman and CEO of Silvercrest Asset Management Group, died Monday, Nov. 18. He was 63. Cochran founded Silvercrest in 2002, building it into a substantial investment management company which was taken public in June 2013.

Moffett was born in Staunton, Va., and was the son of Lee Stuart Cochran, a former member of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors and a former chairwoman of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Board and the late George Moffett Cochran IV, a Virginia Supreme Court justice and a state legislator.

Moffett is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, DuPre Cates Cochran of New Canaan; and his cherished daughters, Elisabeth Peyton Cochran and Lee Stuart Cochran, both of New York City; his brother, H. C. Stuart Cochran and his wife Emily Cart Cochran of Staunton, Va.; their sons, W. Alexander R. Cochran of New York City and H. Carter S. Cochran Jr. of Charleston, S.C. and his wife Jodie Cochran; and their daughters, Caroline and Kate Cochran; and his devoted father- and mother-in-law, Macfarlane and Marguerite Cates of Spartanburg, S.C.

Moffett received both a B.A. and law degree from the University of Virginia. He was chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, a trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and served on the Board of Managers of the University of Virginia Alumni Association and the Board of Trustees of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Inc. He was also a member of the College of Charleston Foundation Board of Directors.

After law school, Moffett began his career in New York City with J.P. Morgan, followed by Bessemer Trust, where he was a member of the Management and Executive Committees. Subsequently he became chairman and CEO of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette Asset Management Group and then president of Credit Suisse Asset Management after Credit Suisse’s acquisition of DLJ.

Those that knew Moffett would all agree that he was a man of great integrity, leadership, charisma, wit, charm and above all, a man who maintained unwavering loyalty to his family, friends, and colleagues. He was an accomplished fisherman and hunter and loved traveling the world.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 11, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church or to the Robert Fine Cancer Research Lab at the NYPH. Addressed to: Dr. Robert Fine, NYPH-Columbia Univ. Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, PH-8- Stem, Room 8-406, New York, NY 10032

More info: hoytfuneralhome.com

—The Family

Theodor Morin Jr.

Theodore Joseph Morin Jr. of West Dennis, Mass., a former New Canaan resident and physicist who was the author of several patents, died Monday, Nov. 18. He was 82.

Mr. Morin was born on March 22, 1931, in Worcester, Mass., to Leona and Theodore Morin. He graduated from Worcester’s Classical High School in 1950, and in 1951 enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the 11th Airborne Division until 1954.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Northeastern University in 1959, a master’s degree in physics from the College of William & Mary in 1961, a Certificate of Magnetohydrodynamics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961, and a master of business administration degree from the University of Connecticut in 1980.

Mr. Morin worked as a physicist from 1959-61 at NASA, Langley Field, Va., and as an engineering research associate at Northeastern from 1961-67. He taught physics and electrical engineering at Northeastern and established the university’s plasma physics facility. He was the author of five patents in magnetic welding and forming, two in ultrasonic soldering, and some 30 articles and publications on related subjects.

A co-inventor of the solid-state hydrodynamic welding process, Mr. Morin founded the firm of Industrial Magnetics Inc., which later became Thermo Magnetics and merged with Thermatool Corporation in 1974. Mr. Morin joined Thermatool as a product manager and soon became its president. Under his leadership, Thermatool grew from under $6 million to over $80 million in annual sales.

Mr. Morin was also a member of the International Tube Association, a member of the Steel Tube Institute, and a director of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, and served as chairman of the Board of the FMA in 2002.

Mr. Morin led a rich and full life, his family said. His adventures outside the business world included climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, driving across the country with his family, and blue-fishing off Nantucket. He was an avid student of history throughout his life, they said. “He traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas and was uniformly held in high esteem as a business man of high integrity and foresight,” the family said. “He made friends everywhere he went and was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He will be remembered for his creativity, his sense of humor, and his fastidiously maintained crew cut.”

Mr. Morin was predeceased by his brother, David. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and beloved wife of 59 years, Helen; his brother, Lee of Worcester, Mass.; his sons, Theodore, Peter, Thomas, John, and Andrew; his daughter, Elizabeth; and 17 grandchildren.

Calling hours are Monday, Nov. 25, from 4-6, at Hallet Funeral Home, 273 Station Ave., South Yarmouth, Mass. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 11, at St. Pius X Church, 5 Barbara St., South Yarmouth. Burial will follow at the Massachusetts National Cemetery on Connery Avenue in Bourne.

Memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project in memory of Theodore Joseph Morin, Jr. at support.WoundedWarriorProject.org.

—Advertiser

Ted Benedict

Ted Benedict spent a lifetime learning about the world around him.

Unfamiliar cultures, exotic languages, foreign customs and the natural beauty of distant lands drove Benedict to explore the globe. “Adventurer” is how his family described the man who trekked mountain trails, rafted the rivers of Nepal and spent his free time on his sailboat on Lake Eustis.

“He just loved the world,” said daughter Carol Deane B. Mitnick of McLean, Va.

Benedict died Monday, a week after a cardiac arrest. He was 69.

Born in Key West, Benedict grew up in New Canaan, Conn. A gifted long-distance runner at New Canaan High School, Benedict, who was also class president, went on to attend the University of Michigan on a cross-country and track scholarship.

He studied philosophy, which younger brother Charles Benedict called fitting because it’s the “adventure of the mind.” After graduating, Benedict joined the Peace Corps, hoping to see places different from what he was accustomed to in the U.S.

He landed in western Nepal, where he helped design and build roads. While there, Benedict learned Nepalese and took up photography. He also learned Japanese, Indonesian and Hindi.

So in awe with the land and the people of Nepal, Benedict convinced his brother Charles Benedict to join him on a later trip. More than 40 years later, Charles, of Beloit, Wis., can still recall a rafting excursion that took the brothers to a waterway few Westerners had ever been.

“It was not a good idea to go down that river,” Charles said.

While traveling Asia and Europe in the late 1960s, Benedict stopped in Istanbul, Turkey,where he met Marjorie Smith. She offered him some bread and honey she had purchased in Greece.

“When he stopped eating, he fell madly in love,” Marjorie said.

The two didn’t reconnect until several years later. While in Atlanta, they shared a pizza on their first date and later married in New Orleans in 1976. The couple went on to have four children.

The adventures didn’t stop for the newlyweds. The couple moved to Indonesia, where Benedict taught English.

In 1981, Benedict and his wife moved to Central Florida when he took a position with Lockheed Martin. Benedict chose to settle in Mount Dora because “it reminded him of New Canaan,” his wife said.

The area’s lakes allowed Benedict to take up sailing. Over time, Benedict, who was a member of the Lake Eustis Sailing Club, amassed a collection of boats and often raced on the weekend.

But his wife said he wasn’t about winning, though he often placed in local regattas.

The Benedict family, including Benedict’s 93-year-old father, Bill of Chapel Hill, N.C, traveled to Alaska in 2011. The following year, Benedict, his wife and his father toured the Great Lakes, stopping at lighthouses and breweries along the way.

This article was used with permission of the Orlando Sentinel, copyright 2013, and reprinted in the New Canaan Advertiser at the request of Mr. Benedict’s family.

Frank S. Bondor

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Nov. 23, for Frank S. Bonder, a longtime New Canaan resident who died at his home on Sunday, Oct. 20. He was 85.

The husband of Anna Mae Begala Bondor for the past 62 years, Mr. Bonder was a chemical process engineer who worked as a project manager for several companies and several patents bear his name. After retirement, he volunteered as a math and science tutor. Mr. Bonder’s complete obituary, published here on Oct. 31, can be viewed by clicking here.

Saturday’s memorial service will be held Saturday at noon at the First Presbyterian Church, 178 Oenoke Ridge.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Choir Fund, 178 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840 or to the Boy Scouts of America.

Robert Rockafellow

Robert Fell Rockafellow (known by all as Bob), a 49-year resident of New Canaan and veteran, died in Norwalk Hospital after a long illness on Thursday, Nov. 21, with his loving family by his side. Bob, 81, was the husband of Robin Reynolds Rockafellow.

Born Nov. 24, 1931, in Abington, Pa., to the late Samuel Fries and Dorothy Fell Rockafellow; Bob attended Wesleyan University, served in the Navy as a neuropsychiatric medic at Philadelphia Naval Hospital during the Korean War and graduated from Lafayette College in 1956.

Bob was an international banker who began his career with Marine Midland Trust Company in 1956 and worked for Manufacturers Hanover Bank, American Express International Bank, Allied Bank International and Bahrain Middle East Bank before his retirement in 1988. Bob’s career took him and his family to live in Greece, Belgium and Bahrain — years of exploration and foreign travel which they loved.

In retirement, Bob, an avid gardener, became a dedicated 15-year volunteer for Americares, focused on the HomeFront program. He also assisted his brother-in-law at Primary Purpose, a halfway facility in northern California for several months a year. He was actively involved in the New Canaan Senior Men’s Club.

In addition to his wife of 55 years, Bob is survived by two daughters, Carolynn Rockafellow and her husband Frank López-Balboa of New York City and Southampton, N.Y., Elizabeth Rockafellow and her husband Luciano Lazzarino of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; and two grandchildren, Cristian and Olivia López-Balboa. Bob is also survived by his older brother, John David Rockafellow and his wife Marion; two nephews, Peter and Daniel Rockafellow; and a niece, Katharine  Rockafellow, all of Doylestown, Pa.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2, at St. Mark’s Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to HomeFront, 88 Hamilton Ave., Stamford, CT 06902. Please make a memo on the check, “Rockafellow Memorial.” More info: HomeFrontProgram.org/.

For online condolences and directions, visit HoytFuneralHome.com.

Ervin Felton Bickley, Jr.

Ervin Felton Bickley, Jr., formerly of New Canaan and Sanibel, Fla., died peacefully at his home in Redding on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Born June 1, 1921, Mr. Bickley was the son of Ervin Felton Bickley and Hannah Elizabeth Davis. Mr. Bickley was a graduate of Olney High School, Philadelphia, Pa., and of Drexel University, College of Engineering, Class of 1942 with a B.S. in chemical engineering.

While at Drexel, he was member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Interfraternity Council, Blue Key, Scabbard and Blade. In addition he was exchange editor of The Drexerd and played varsity football. Later in life, Mr. Bickley served as a member of Drexel’s Board of Trustees from 1977-1992 and remained a trustee emeritus until his death.

Mr. Bickley served as a first lieutenant during World War II, primarily in the Pacific Theatre, as a statistical control officer in the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur in both Manila and Tokyo. He was an “expert” marksman, the highest army ranking. In addition to other decorations and citations, Mr. Bickley earned recognition for service during the Philippine liberation.

While in Japan, Lt. Bickley was elected president of the Nippon Dragons Club in Tokyo, which was founded by 13 Drexel men, all army officers.

In 1992, the Drexel 100, the University’s alumni hall of fame was launched as part of the celebration surrounding Drexel’s 100th anniversary. Mr. Bickley was acknowledged as one of Drexel’s distinguished alumni. Every two years the Drexel community bestows this highest level of alumni recognition on a small select group of graduates whose lifetime achievements have brought great honor to Drexel University.

From 1969-1999, Mr. Bickley was chairman of the Board and C.E.O. of New England Envelope Manufacturing Company in Worcester, Mass., which was sold to Westvaco upon his retirement.

Previously, Mr. Bickley worked at Packaging Corporation of America, serving as President of their subsidiary Coates Board and Carton Company and later as Vice President at the parent company. Prior to that, he worked at International Paper Corporation, Container Corporation of America, and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. He has been a Director of Kliklok Corporation, and former Director of Bloomsburg Mills and Imi Tech Corporation.

In New Canaan, Mr. Bickley was the co-founder and President of the Citizens Continuing Committee on Conservation, from 1966-1980. He chaired the New Canaan Bicentennial Committee from 1972-1976 and was responsible for the biggest Fourth of July celebration to date in New Canaan, which drew an estimated 14,000 people, and is credited for the start of the Family Fourth celebration in New Canaan, which in 1980 became an annual event. Mr. Bickley was at one time a trustee of the Congregational Church in New Canaan and taught Sunday school there. In addition, Mr. Bickley served on the board of the New Canaan Historical Society until recently.

Mr. Bickley was known for his sense of humor, “tough but fair” demeanor, fondness for his childhood and college adventures in Ocean City, N.J., and at Drexel respectively, and for his love of ice cream and dark chocolate. He was a good paddle tennis player in his younger years, and also enjoyed squash, tennis, golf, and was a formidable Bridge player. He was an avid reader, favoring world history and who-done-its.

A member of the Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution, he had great interest in family history and in genealogy. Mr. Bickley traced his own family back several hundred years, a feat of which he was most proud as this was accomplished through good persistent research well before the computer age.

It was this love of history, family, and heritage, which led him to travel along with his wife Edith to Singapore, to visit the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (Bishop Bickley Memorial) which honored his grandfather, Bishop George Harvey Bickley, who was an American Bishop of the Methodist Church elected in 1920 and who served there as a missionary until 1924. The Bickleys were pleased to be present during the celebration of the 100th Anniversary in 1994.

Mr. Bickley is survived by his wife of 54 years, Edith Mitchell Bickley of Redding; daughters, Dr. Lynn Scott Bickley (Dr. Randolph B. Schiffer) of Santa Fe, N.M., Ann Felton Bickley of Reno, Nev., and Jean Mitchell Bickley, of Stamford; along with five grandsons and two great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:

David J. Toll, JD, Associate Vice-President Gift Planning, The Office of Institutional Advancement, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Suite 310, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Make check payable to Drexel University: notation In Memory of Ervin F. Bickley, Jr., Endowed Scholarship Fund, College of Engineering. More info: legacy.vg/drexel/giving/4.html

Or to the New Canaan Historical Society, Attn.: Janet Lindstrom, 13 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840

A memorial service will be held Saturday Dec. 7, at 11, at the Congregational Church, 23 Park St., New Canaan. Interment will be private.

For online condolences and directions please visit HoytFuneralHome.com.

Christine Nevins Falco

Born the daughter of a naval officer, Christine Nevins Falco began her life in Hawaii before eventually settling in North Carolina, where she would spend her formative years and, ultimately, receive her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina. Chris also received a master’s degree from the University of Georgia in interior design.

For the majority of their life together, Chris and Neil Falco raised their son in New Canaan, where she was deeply involved with countless community events and charitable causes. Her true calling was architecture and interior design, and that passion was never more evident than during the last year of her life as she meticulously helped to plan and design their dream house in Bluffton, S.C.

After a heroic battle with breast cancer for seven years, Chris died on Tuesday, Nov. 26, as a result of complications from surgery at the age of 62. Though she was only able to spend one night in the home that had been her vision for years, her touches are evident throughout. She will also continue to live on through all of the people whose lives she touched.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Neil; her loving son and stepdaughter, Christopher and Susan; her precocious grandchildren, Mackenzie and Thomas; and her proud father, Martin. She has once again found the comforting embrace of her mother, Helen, deceased these past six years.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to: Bennett Cancer Center, c/o Stamford Hospital Foundation, 1351 Washington Blvd., Suite 202, Stamford, CT 06902.

Margaret Rosalie Howlett Jones Monkman, a former New Canaan resident, died at the home of her daughter, Elisabeth Pancio, in Lagrangeville, N.Y., on Wednesday, Nov. 27. She had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for the past five years.

Margaret was born in London, England, in 1932. She spent six years of her childhood under bombing raids and evacuation assignments during World War II.

She graduated from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she met her future husband, the American Richard Monkman. Before her marriage, she moved to Bordeaux, France, where she taught conversational English to French students for one year.

Following that, she spent one more year in New York City working at the United Nations on published nuclear development materials.

Margaret and Richard were then married in London and she began a lifetime career as a clergyman’s wife and partner, serving in Scotland, Connecticut and New York. She carried on this role while teaching in various private schools, including 25 years at the New Canaan Country School.

She and her husband spent their final 21 years in Pound Ridge, N.Y., after which they moved to New Canaan, where she wrote “Bombs and Lambs,” a depiction of her childhood wartime years.

Margaret is survived by her husband and three children, Richard, Jonathan and Elisabeth; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild, as well as family members in England.

Family services were private.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the First United Methodist Church of New Canaan on South Avenue.

— The Family

Donn V. Smythe III of Danbury, formerly of New Canaan, died Saturday, Nov. 30. He was 73.

Mr. Smythe was the son of the late Donn Verner Smythe and Eleanor S. Smythe. He grew up in Southport and had a special love for the beach and Long Island Sound, his family said. He worked for Perkin Elmer in Wilton for many years. He lived in New Canaan for 18 years until he moved to Danbury 13 years ago, and was a devoted member of the New Fairfield Congregational Church.

Mr. Smythe is survived by his loving wife, Rosa, and her son, Bruno; his sister, Ellen Smythe Brakeley of New Canaan; two nieces, Elizabeth Warden of Denver, Colo., ands Sarah Warden of Brookline, Mass.; his nephew, Robert Warden of New York, N.Y.; and his five great-nieces and grand-nephews.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 10 at St. Peter’s Cemetery, Danbury. There are no calling hours.

Hull Funeral Home, 60 Division St., Danbury, is handling arrangements. For online condolences, visit HullFuneralService.com.