Ridgefield, Connecticut
For the year 2004
Last updated: Thursday, January 20, 2005
Alphabetical Name index
(please see after this list for more descriptive links by date of death )
Obituaries by date of death
Dennis Tessier, 61, first president of Village Bank, Jan. 4
Robert Herstein, 95, commodities broker, father of two Ridgefielders, Jan. 5
Francis 'Frank' Grandville, 71, accountant, Wilton schools campus supervisor, Jan. 8
Paul Enlow, 77, corporate patent attorney, former Ridgefielder, Jan. 8
Virginia Bates, 81, homemaker, former Ridgefielder, Jan. 9
Dorothea Sturges, 90, operated ceramics studio here, Jan. 10
David A. Yelinek, 52, RHS Class of 1969, Jan. 11
Philip Ancona, 84, Navy World War II veteran, lifelong Ridgefielder, Jan. 13
Walter Robak Sr., 77, Navy veteran, Pitney-Bowes retiree, shot three holes-in-one, Jan. 13
Catherine Carbone, 70, retired nurse, longtime resident, Jan. 14
Margaret Murphy, former Ridgefielder, Jan. 16
Geraldine M. Helie, 86, fashion model and executive, real estate agent, Jan. 21
Joan Henderson, nurse, quilter, longtime resident, Jan. 22
Gloria Duffy, 60, native of Maine, Jan. 22
Joseph P. Kolf Jr., 75, 43-year resident, active at St. Mary's, Jan 23.
Dorothy A. Reynolds Cogswell, 85, teacher Ridgefield native, RHS 1935, Jan. 29
Joseph E. Brunetti, grocer, reporter, athletic leader, veteran, Feb. 1
Bartholomew J. Mauceri, 60, popular deacon at St. Elizabeth Seton, Feb. 2
Georga Ferris, artist and teacher, Feb. 2
John Edward Dowling, 82, attorney, public official, World War II hero, Feb. 5
Lena Cimarelli Schutte, 91, Ridgefield native, Feb. 7
Joyce Bending Wilson, 79, longtime Vassar Brothers hospital leader, Feb. 7
Delano Barbour Cassar, 71, biology teacher, Ridgefielder since 1965, Feb. 9
Nazzareno "Nano" Ancona, 72, lifelong Ridgefielder, well-known merchant, Feb. 22
Ian MacDonald Sharpe, 44, tax director and counsel at GE Equity, Feb. 22
James V. Worrall, environmental engineer, Air Force veteran, Feb. 23
Jonathan Moix, 27, RHS '94, graphic designer, friend of animals, Feb. 24
Kenneth Harris, 48, worked at Danbury Hospital, Feb. 26
Ernest Hughes, 76, manufacturing engineer, longtime Ridgefielder, Feb. 27
Adelaide "Pat" Newman Finch, 84, active in community, Feb. 28
Michael J. Violante, 49, architect, GOP Town Committee member, active in town, March 2
Richard K. Clarke, former Ridgefielder, March 2
Douglas E. Jones, 64, RHS '57, police lieutenant in Anchorage, Alaska, March 3
Helen Weaver, 79, postal worker, 50-year Ridgefielder, March 4
Margaret F. McAleer, 94, native of Ireland, Ridgefielder since 1946, March 4
Barbara "Bobbie" McClellan, 83, sang in choir, led bowlers, March 4
Richard A. Banks, 71, rodeo and performing rider, farm manager, March 8
Joseph A. Morganti, 73, Ridgefield native, RHS '49, co-owner of Morganti Inc., March 9
James J. McEvoy, 66, market research director, March 13
Frances "Ruth" Dingee Backer, 93, restaurateur, longtime Ridgefielder, March 14.
Dr. Harry Blum, 105, physician, artist, mink farmer, longtime Ridgefielder, March 14
Alexander Schemm, 85, CPA, World War II veteran, March 14
Stan H. Garrett, 49, Silver Spring golf pro for nearly 20 years, March 15
Craig K. Welch, 58, insurance entrepreneur, RHS Class of 1963, March 15
Lillian Scaglia Stevens, 90, Ridgefield native, craftswoman, March 18
Linda Carboni, 47, worked on Hubbell space telescope, March 19
Rita Tuccio, former Miss Italy, homemaker, longtime Ridgefielder, March 22
John K. Kinnear Sr., 82, engineer, former Ridgefielder, March 26
Paul J. Rosa Jr., 76, longtime town official, GOP leader, March 26
James B. Cooper, 61, software professional, fought pulmonary fibrosis, March 29
Dr. Henry D. Minot, 86, retired surgeon, medical examiner, Naval aviator, school bus driver, March 31
Gina "Jean" Baldaserini Rossini, 88, Ridgefield native, April 5
Margaret "Peggy" O'Neill, 60, administrative assistant, active in cancer patient support, April 5
Antonio Marino, 72, retired cobbler, native of Italy, April 6
Vilma Salvestrini, 79, homemaker, longtime Ridgefielder, April 9
Margaret "Peg" Paige, 85, retired teacher, April 10
Herschel Ferris, 80, retired IBM contracts expert, April 10
Ruth Devlin, 87, owned real estate firm here, April12
Ruth L. McCarthy, 79, owned advertising agency, April 12
William Boondas, 85, retired businessman, native of Greece, April 14
Irene Cassavechia, 79, longtime Ridgefield resident, April 15
John Charles Grasso, 47, cabinetmaker, sportsman, April 15
Nancy McHardy Plaut, 67, educator, April 16
Gail McMillan, 51, native of England, April 17
Margaret Mary Bohan Kiley, 77, longtime resident, theatre and hospital volunteer, April 20
Christine Archambault, native of Poland, owned market, April 20
Rose M. Franceschini, 87, lifelong Ridgefield resident, April 23
Howard Silverman, romantic artist, dramatist, longtime Ridgefielder, April 23
Nathan Bruckenthal, 24, first Coast Guardsman to die in battle since Vietnam, in Iraq, April 24
Francine J. Whitehouse, 39, GE Capital executive, April 26
William L. Wyatt, 65, RHS Class of 1957, led Little League team to World Series, April 26
Arthur Kessler, 77, chemical engineer, Yarnbee owner, April 29
Gary T. Petersen, 67, former resident, avid golfer, April 30
Katherine McGill Whitman, 89, retired secretary, former Ridgefielder, May 3
John P. Dwyer, 81, World War II veteran, former flight engineer, May 4
Joseph A. Tulipani, Ridgefield native, World War II veteran, May 5
Carolyn Ferguson Fischer, 91, native Ridgefielder, worked for Schlumberger, May 6
Shirley Thomas Griffith, 83, longtime Stamford city employee, May 7
Edith Eilertsen Sharnik, 48, RHS 1974, artist and framer, May 8
Mary F. Connell, 81, longtime Ridgefielder, May 9
Joseph Cice, 37, RHS 1985, social worker, child advocate, May 9
Michael J. Manning, 65, longtime Ridgefielder, active in community, May 15
Joseph Mulvaney, 84, carpenter, World War II veteran, RHS 1937, May 16
DJ Esslinger, 21, HVAC technician, May 18
Sister Barbara Topazio, 65, teacher, community volunteer, May 19
Martha Morgan, 79, homemaker, volunteer, deacon, May 21
Alfred G. Bergen, 46, contractor, native of Vienna, May 21
Anthony J. Gaeta Jr., 89, native, plumber, World War II veteran, May 25
Richard Henderson, 48, pilot and writer, May 29
Miller A. Johnson, 79, air freight executive, active in community, May 31
Dominic J. Bedini, 84, native, mason, D-Day paratrooper, Purple Heart winner, June 7
Florence Mische Lotspeich, 53, public health sanitarian, grew up here, July 7
Craig W. Baggott, 55, Hartford Courant editor, grew up here, June 9
Rino Manoni, 93, Ridgefield native, worked at Gilbert & Bennett, June 10
James P. Evers, 88, retired attorney and judge, June 12
Carmella Legan, 76, homemaker, Ridgefielder for 45 years, June 13
Lester L. Selnick, 80, electrical engineer, founding Temple member, longtime resident, June 15
Dr. Robert Jacobs, 62, chemistry teacher and human rights advocate, June 16
John Occhuizzo, 83, World War II veteran, longtime Ridgefielder, June 17
Joseph F. Dunleavy, 83, World War II veteran, Ridgefield postal clerk, June 18
Hilda N. Monti, 71, longtime town hall worker, active in community, June 19
David E. Nichols, 61, IBM executive, Democratic Party worker and webmaster, town official, June 19
Stephen J. Shay Jr., 77, Stamford policeman for 48 years, June 19
Betsy De Filippis, 71, reporter, avid gardener, longtime resident, June 25
Karl W. Hering, 81, WWII veteran, Perkin-Elmer retiree, music lover, June 25
Eugenia Passarelli, 76, dressmaker for Norell, Saks Fifth Avenue, June 25
William "Tom" Reisen, 71, former resident, Ridgefield police volunteer, June 25
W. Mark Zabarouskas, 45, RHS '77, Navy veteran, July 3
Robert G. Jewell, 63, retired New York City policeman and firefighter, July 5
Joan Moll Watts, 68, Pepperidge Farms accounting supervisor, former Ridgefielder, July 6
Veronica Dubs, longtime Ridgefielder, July 6
Janet Baldwin, 94, IT&T accountant, former Ridgefielder, July 7
Eileen Swartout, teacher, farmer, mountain climber, July 7
Francis S. Ingraham, 72, retired Olin manager, active in Methodist Church, July 9
Sylvia Asselin, 65, active in garden club, Keeler Tavern, July 12
Marguerite Maddock Goodrow, 81, Ridgefield native, July 14
William Mennis, 77, retired Mercantile manager, July 17
Edward M. Holub, noted engineer, longtime Ridgefielder, July 17
Lt. Col. Hans B. Collischonn, 79, former Wilton teacher, July 20
John "Jack" Coffey, 69, RHS '53, Navy veteran, building, July 22
Roger A. Hill, 53, petroleum engineer, taught at university, July 25
Shirley F. Lazarus, 72, mother of Ridgefielder, July 26
Charles Napier Miller, 42, grew up here, July 30
Earle Greenwood, 82, Navy veteran, marine chemicals manager, July 31
Bruce Dallow, 63, retired Pelham policeman, July 31
Joan Gillespie, 61, owned cleaning service, Aug. 6
Winifred Beckley Gillum Prosser, 78, outdoorswoman, produced famous fly rods, Aug. 12
Dino V. Cingolani, 76, baseball star wooed by major leagues, Aug. 16
Joan M. Corde, 67, homemaker, gardener, active with youth groups, Aug. 18
Brian Schlierf, 8, Ridgebury pupil, fire victim, Aug. 18
Laurie Ann DeLuca, 37, grew up in Ridgefield, Aug. 21
Miriam 'Mary' Briody, 77, worked for City of New York, Aug. 25
Ellen Johnson 'Mimi' Kane, 102, homemaker with an eye for wise investment, Aug. 28
Richard B. Hitt, 71, operated The Yankee Clipper, former assistant canine control officer, Aug. 31
Gwendolyne R. “Gwen” Franco, 76, restaurateur, antiques dealer, Sept. 3
Aileen Agius, 75, former Ridgefielder, retired nurse, Sept. 5
Peter Paul Lorenzini, 88, built many Ridgefield homes, was volunteer fireman, Sept. 7
Richard G. Turner, 85, machinist, former Ridgefielder, Sept. 10
Beverly Bollenback, 74, retired nurse, longtime Ridgefielder, Sept. 11
James Hartle, 62, IBM retiree, active in youth, church, school programs, Sept. 11
Olga Usky Biggar, 83, former Stamford official, Sept. 16
Gertrude Ingels, 88, retired purchasing agent, Sept. 17
June Pascoe Martin, 84, homemaker, artist, longtime Ridgefielder, Sept. 17
Frank R. Grant, 79, Navy veteran, retired police detective, Sept. 18
Frederick R. Glissmann, 68, artisan, historian, longtime Ridgefielder, Sept.18
Mary L. Cheney, 75, former VNA administrator, Sept. 19
Ella Urban Walmsley, former Navy employee, Sept. 20
Dixie A. Tuoti, 93, nurse, longtime Ridgefielder, Sept. 21
Katherine Zembron, 80, worked for New York City schools, Sept. 23
Edith Forcelli Dodd, 83, longtime Branchville homemaker, Sept. 23
Marvin Fleischman, 68, physicist, ham radio operator, Sept. 24
Maureen Oliveri, 50, credit analyst, outdoorswoman, Sept. 25
Ethel G. Kane, 90, homemaker and artist, Sept. 26
Erna Russow, 92, native of German, fled Nazis, widow of Dr. Erich Russow, Oct. 8
Sarah Barrus Dickinson, 83, summer resident, Oct. 8
John D. Foulds, 78, Pepsi-Cola executive, native of England, Oct. 9
Roland D. Hatter, 70, retired caretaker, tree surgeon, Oct. 9
Rosetta Dwyer, 80, teacher, attorney, longtime Ridgefielder, Oct. 15
Benedict Tighe, 77, monsignor who served here as Benedictine priest, Oct. 17
George F. Wilson, 76, Ridgefield native, volunteer firefighter, worked for Morganti, Oct. 19
Anne Marie Pokorny Beardsley, lived here many years, worked for Ethan Allen, Oct. 22
Edward J. Czyr, 71, builder, former Lions Club president, Oct. 22
Janice Hunt Tulipani, 74, longtime Ridgefielder, active in community, Oct. 25
Adaline "Addi" Laughlin, 67, crafts leader, Ukrainian egg expert, Oct. 25
Rosanna Pesce, 93, seamstress, active at St. Mary's, Oct. 29
Dominic DiOrio, 90, tool and die maker for Hughes Aircraft, RHS 1933, Nov. 1
Maria D. "Masha" Scott, 92, teacher, writer, scholar, native of Russia, Nov. 5
Allen O. Shafer, 85, former school board chairman, World War II veteran, Nov. 6
Thielo G. Howland, 92, toy company executive, former Navy intelligence agent, Nov. 6
Edwin Heckel, 86, electronics technician, longtime Ridgefield, World War II vet, Nov. 7
Thelma A. Robertson, 81, active in church and volunteering, longtime Ridgefielder, Nov. 8
Mary E. Brolin, 81, retired teacher, medical secretary, wife of school administrator, Nov. 9
Augustus "Gussie" Nazzaro, 86, worked at Gilbert and Bennett, Nov. 9
Ruth D. Johnson, 82, retired VNA worker, 55-year Ridgefielder, Nov. 10
Jeffrey James "Jay" Docimo, 37, bank manager, sports coach, Nov. 12
Frank L. Schmitt, 82, worked for AT&T, World War II veteran, Nov. 12
Christine Ann West, 53, RHS 1967, loved the outdoors, Nov. 12
John G. Clark, RHS 1967, graphic designer, historic district official, Nov. 13
G. Leonard Lazarus, 82, retired aerospace engineer, Nov. 14
Darrell Duffy, 32, Ridgefield High Class of 1991, Nov. 18
James A. Ford, 72, military food broker, Marine veteran, Nov. 18
Leon Najman, 71, engineer, community volunteer, 42-year resident, Nov. 19
C. Ray Phelan, 86, Ridgefield native, former town official, Nov. 21
Mary Elisabeth Freivogel, native, RHS 1941, bookkeeper, Nov. 24
Martha Meier Roberti, native of Switzerland, longtime Ridgefielder, Nov. 25
Rupert "Dutch" Vreugde, 76, aerospace engineer, spied on Nazis as boy, Dec. 11
Alice "Elsie" Kasuli, 90, seamstress, active in cancer society, Dec. 15
Maura Sullivan Reynolds, 84, former Ridgefielder active at St. Mary's, Dec. 16
Tina Roberti Morazzini, 87, Ridgefield native, Dec. 16
Rose E. Ribeiro, 88, longtime Ridgefielder, native of Finland, worked for the Luces, Dec. 19
Frances Long Scott, 84, writer, journalist, community volunteer, Dec. 19
John P. Forcelli, 81, star baseball player, lifelong Ridgefielder, Dec. 20
Alfred J. Kaletta, 75, Amtrak executive, active in community, Dec. 24
Lisa Ann Cataldo, 39, active in schools and at St. Mary's, Dec. 25
Delores Hayward Martin, 69, former resident, well-known waitress, Dec. 29
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 $2 to cover costs to Jack Sanders, Obituary Reprints, The Ridgefield Press, Box 1019, Ridgefield CT 06877.
Index of Press obituaries, 1875-1999 (no texts online)
Notes: While many newspapers today charge fees for obituaries,
The Ridgefield Press does not. Nor do we charge to have the obituary placed online.