Obituaries from The Ridgefield Press

Ridgefield, Connecticut

For the Year 2000

(Note: Posting of online obituaries began in May; a few earlier obituaries are also online.)

Alphabetical

Name index

Alderese, Jennie
Andersen, Einar
Baker, Josephine
Banelis, Vytautas “Victor” 
Bard, Edwina
Beery, Evelyn
Benedetto, Christine
Bergen, RoseMary
Bjorlin, Elizabeth
Borchetta, Page
Brown, Belynda
Buhrman, Denise Hanneman
Carboni, Shirley
Carosello, Josephine
Carroll, Richard T.
Chaney, Michael
Christiansen, Norman
Cohen, Israel "Izzy"
Commons, Helen
Davies, Linda
de Bruycker, Roy
Dingee, Valerie
Dorr, Anna
Dougherty, Lauretta
Edighoffer, Earl
Ettinger, Caroline
Evans, Alison
Fagan, Sharon
Ferry, Lyndon
Fish, Richard
Fitch, Francis “Frank”
Fix, Patricia Lawrynovicz
Gagon, Mary
Galbraith, Joseph
Glowinski, Joseph
Grandville, Frank
Glover, Dorothy Haight
Goodwill, John C.
Hanlon, Margaret
Hanson, Muriel
Hellinger, Germaine Grillet
Horaj, Edward
Hornibrook, William R.
Horvath, Paul
Hostetter, Madelyn
Houlihan, Matthew
Hoyt, Lily
Johnson, Margaret
Kane, Robert A.
Karnoff, Arleen
King, Joseph
Kinsman, Linda
Korzennik, Henry
Klein, Kathie
Kontogianis, Loula
Krueger, Marthe
Kruelski, Edward
Kunzmann, Susan
Lauer, Norma
Leary, Frederick
Lee, Claire Cobham
Leeds, Evelyne Hartfield
Lewis, Gerald
Lewis, Helen
Lund, the Rev. Clayton R.,
Mari, Victor
McFarlane, Charles
McGuinness, Alice
McKenna, Arthur
McMahon, William
McManus, James
Mead, Jeffrey
Meehan, Charlotte
Menousek, James
Michel, Antoinette
Morrison, William Millar
Myers, Florence
Nagle, Vincent
Nasse, Patricia
Nast, Marylyn
Newton, Eleanor
Olsen, Olaf
Peterson, Nancy
Piasta, Mary Keeler
Pierce, Charles
Pirri, Connie
Pitre, Frederic
Prino, Frances
Reulbach, Marguerite
Ryba, Dr. Walter R.
Salter, Ina Cecil
Salvestrini, Joseph
Sarath, Edward
Sarica, Mary F.
Scaglia, Michele
Sloan, Esther
Sossei, Elliott
Sossei, Nellie
Swanson, Alice
Symon, John
Szigeti, Johanna
Tango, Richard E.
Testa, Sophia
Thalberg, Kenneth
Thorne, Catherine Scaglia
Trumbull, Robert
Vozzo, Gary
Weed, Wilson
Welsh, Vernon
Wiggins, Lester
Wiggins, Lynda Anne Kennedy
Williams, Owen
Wills, Ruth
Wood, G. Congdon

Obituaries by date of death

Ruth Wills, 102, tiny teacher who frightened football players, Feb. 13

Linda Davies, 90, teacher for nearly half a century, Feb. 13

Madelyn Hostetter, 87, artist, minister's wife, 28-year resident, Feb. 28

Gerald "Jerry" Lewis, 85, documentary filmmaker, liveryman, March 11

Frank Grandville, 29, a young man who helped many people, March 22

Arthur McKenna, 86, longtime voice on civic matters, April 6

Caroline Ettinger, 79, shop owner, known as "Ma" at Judy's, May 20

Wilson Weed, 52, carpenter who re-enacted the Old West, May 25

Helen Commons, 96, was active in St. Stephen's Church, June 15

Gary Vozzo, 58, painter, Bible teacher, June 20

Edwina Bard, 93, active in League of Women Voters, June 22

Einar Andersen, 76, cabinetmaker and builder, June 26

Charlotte Meehan, 66, the "Bayberry Hill nurse" who was a friend to many, July 3

Michael Chaney, 57, company owner, July 3

The Rev. Clayton R. Lund, minister of the First Congregational Church for 30 years, July 5

Frederick Leary, 75, grew up here, participated in D-Day, July 7

Robert Trumbull, 52, marketing executive, competitive swimming supporter, July 7

Jeffrey Thomas Mead, 41, dies in mishap at Home Depot; one of twins who grew up here, July 9

Kathie Klein, 50, Press writer, athlete, who fought and wrote about cancer, July 12

William R. "Dick" Hornibrook, 73, builder, fire chief, died where he wanted to - on the golf course, July 16

Charles E. Pierce, 83, stone mason who grew up here, July 18

Germaine Grillet Hellinger, 94, singer, supporter of the arts, July 24

Dorothy Haight Glover, 94, grew up here in the 1910s and 20s, July 27

Elizabeth Bjorlin, 41, Pepsi executive and mother of two, July 28

Mary Modugno Gagon, 84, newcomer, mother and sister of Ridgefielders (Sheehy, Skidd), July 29

Earl Edighoffer, a former Ridgefielder who was active in scouting, husband of Kay, July 29

Richard T. Carroll, 67, high school industrial arts teacher, July 30

Patricia Nasse, 67, lived here for 28 years, July 30

Arleen Karnoff, expert on old houses, former Realtor, Temple benefactor, Aug. 1

Patricia Lawrynovicz Fix, 58, nurse who grew up here, killed by drunken driver, Aug. 1

Charles King McFarlane, 35, active in scouts, dies after long illness, Aug. 3

Ina Cecil Salter, 89, a native who lived here 79 years and taught sewing and tailoring to many, Aug. 9

Page Borchetta, 53, left China as teen, was IBM marketing expert, wife of Touchstones owner, Aug.10

Dr. Walter R. Ryba Jr., 59, dean of Fairfield University School of Business, RHS Class of 1959, Aug. 17

Linda Anne Kennedy Wiggins, 55, former teacher who loved Ridgefield and finally returned, Aug. 19

Robert A. Kane, 65, operated Kane Funeral Home, first Kiwanis president, fireman, Aug. 20

Israel "Izzy" Cohen, 90, Ridgefield native, boxer, restaurateur famed in New Canaan, Aug. 22

Muriel Hanson, 83, former editor at Woman's Day who wrote history of First Congregational Church, Aug. 23

Norman Christiansen, 80, former Ridgefielder and Pan-Am pilot who flew clippers to 747s, Aug. 23

Joseph Glowinski, 85, lived on Ashbee Lane in the 1960s and 1970s, Aug. 25

Paul Horvath, 37, lifelong Ridgefielder who was a plumber, Harley rider and guitarist, Aug. 27

Shirley Carboni, 69, Ridgefield native who'd just marked 50th wedding anniversary, Aug. 30

Lester Wiggins, 75, had operated a TV store here from mid-1960s until 1984, Sept. 2

Vernon Welsh, 92, owned the Keeler Tavern and the Hauley house, two of town's oldest buildings; husband of local historian, Sept. 4

Margaret Johnson, 92, active in First Congregational Church, Sept. 5

Olaf Olsen, 81, stage and screen actor, filmmaker, horseman, Sept. 5

Joseph Galbraith, 80, a former zoning official here, Sept. 6

Lily Hoyt, 88, former resident who ran antiques business at Elms in the 60s, was active in town, Sept. 11

Jennie Alderese, 92, a native of Italy and 23-year-resident, known for her sense of humor, Sept. 14.

Marthe Krueger, 90, of Wilton, noted dancer and teacher, a former Ridgefielder, Sept. 20

Susan Kunzmann, 59, vice-president at Nursing and Home Care, active youth sports volunteer, Sept. 23

Josephine Carosello, 93, retired seamstress and mother of Renita Covino, Sept. 24

Eleanor Newton, 84, a founder of the Ridgefield Baptist Church, worked at Pinchbeck's, Sept. 25

Frederic Pitre, 54, shipping executive, who led creation of the self-unloading ship, Oct. 1

James Menousek, 66, taught chemistry at Ridgefield High for 35 years, then became a volunteer there, Oct. 2

Matthew Houlihan, 19, Hamilton College student, former Ridgefielder, Oct. 3

Marguerite Reulbach, 78, homemaker, former bookkeeper, Ridgefielder since 1996, Oct. 3

Henry Korzennik, 54, chemistry teacher who'd replaced James Menousek (above), art conservator, Oct. 5

Richard E. Tango, 70, former Ridgefielder who headed graphics company, Oct. 7

Edward Sarath, longtime Ridgefielder, completed college at 72, then taught and wrote two books, Oct. 7

G. Congdon Wood, Ph.D., 84, scientist who supervised grants for the American Cancer Society, Oct. 9

RoseMary Bergen, 71, pipe-smoking former town treasurer, Quinnipiac leader, Oct. 11

Denise Buhrman, 85, former Ridgefielder who had been Mrs. Park Hanneman, Oct. 11

Owen Williams, 22, MIT scholar and champion figure skater, Oct. 12

Catherine "Katie" Thorne, 81, nee Scaglia, Ridgefield native, longtime Norwalk resident, Oct. 13

Kenneth Thalberg, 61, was active in temple, Oct. 17

Helen Lewis, 76, Scotland School librarian and Ridgefield Library president, Oct. 18

William McMahon, 80, reading teacher and activist who fought Parkinson's Disease, Oct. 21

Edward Horaj, 68, baking technician, Ridgefielder for 21 years, Oct. 24

Alice McGuinness, 72, 20-year Ridgefielder, sister of the homebuilding Symon brothers, Oct. 24

Loula Kontogianis, 88, 13-year resident, Oct. 26

Norma Lauer, 65, former dancer and real estate agent, Oct. 26

Margaret Hanlon, 85, homemaker and artist, Oct. 26

Antoinette Michel, 96, saleswoman who retired at 86, Oct. 27

John C. Goodwill, 62, radio executive, who was Ridgefield Basketball Assn. president, Oct. 27

Elliott Sossei, 59, teacher and former Ridgefielder, Oct. 30

Marylyn Nast, 64, former resident who owned Pappagallo's, Oct. 31

Evelyne Hartfield Leeds, active in the arts in California, Ridgefielder since 1980, Nov. 1

Johanna Szigeti, 65, popular upholsterer and longtime Ridgefielder, Nov. 2

Anna M. Dorr, 92, pioneer telephone operator, former Ridgefielder, Nov. 6

Nancy Peterson, former Ridgefielder, member of Presbyterian Church, Nov. 9

Richard Fish, 75, former Ridgefielder who worked in building trades, Nov. 11

William M. Morrison, ex-Marine who was a naturalist and humanitarian, Nov. 12

Alice Swanson, 85, 54-year Ridgefielder, was secretary to Pepperidge Farm founder, Nov. 15

Vytautas “Victor” Banelis,74, insurance executive, former Ridgefielder, Nov. 16

Connie Pirri, 90, former Ridgefielder was artist, nurse, wife of state police commander, Nov. 18

Mary Catherine Keeler Piasta, 93, native daughter who managed motor vehicles department office, Nov. 19

Valerie Goodrow Dingee, 52, teacher who headed fire auxiliary, Nov. 20

Joseph Salvestrini, 82, Ridgefield native and winner of the Purple Heart, Nov. 20

Frances Prino, 86, a 40-year Ridgefielder and a good neighbor, Nov. 27

Claire Cobham Lee, 76, retired advertising executive, Nov. 29

Victor Mari, 70, actor and St. Mary’s lector, Nov. 30

Lauretta M. Dougherty, 86, retired secretary and 40-year Ridgefielder, Dec. 1

Sharon Fagan, 40, volunteer and mother, Dec. 1

Linda Kinsman, 38, mother and student who aided cancer society, Dec. 1

Josephine Baker, 100, taught for 21 years at Ridgefield High School, Dec. 3

James McManus, 83, town building inspector and lifelong Ridgefielder, Dec. 3

John Symon, 72, Ridgefield builder and longtime resident, Dec. 6

Edward Kruelski, 86, conservationist, horticulturist, longtime Ridgefielder, Dec. 8

Lyndon Ferry, 90, former superintendent of mails, foster father, native, Dec. 9

Nellie Sossei, 89, artist whose Rockwell portrait hangs in museum, Dec. 9

Florence Myers, 82, a 25-year resident, Dec. 13

Evelyn Beery, Brooklyn YWCA and YMCA leader, Dec. 13

Frank Fitch, 62, active Ridgefield Kiwanian, Dec. 13

Belynda Brown, longtime Ridgefielder known for her gentle spirit, Dec. 17

Christine Benedetto, three-year resident and mother of Ridgefielder, Dec. 20

Alison Evans, 77, television, stage and film actress, Dec. 20

Joseph King, 83, former Ridgefielder who loved Ocean City, N.J., Dec. 21

Roy de Bruycker, 75, was guard at Nuremburg, helped youth athletics, Dec. 24

Michele Scaglia, 85, native of town, Dec. 25

Vincent Nagle, 64, owned chain of expressway service stations, Dec. 25

 

Sophia Testa, 83, native of Westport, Dec. 28

 

Esther Sloan, 94, began teaching at 17, was founder of OWLS, Dec. 29

 

Mary Feeney Sarica, 100, native of Ireland who loved to crochet, Dec. 31

 

 

To obtain a photocopy of an obituary on this page as it appeared in The Press, send the person's name, date of the Press issue or of the death, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and $4 to cover costs to Jack Sanders, 91 Olmstead Lane, Ridgefield CT 06877. The text of the obit can also be emailed.

Index of Press obituaries, 1875-1999 (no texts online)

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