George Capiris, 91, Died; Former Westporter who “never missed a New York Giants football game”
George Capiris, age 91 of Southport, formerly of Westport, Connecticut, beloved husband of 65 years to Stella Capiris passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
Born in Yonkers, New York, he was the son of Christopher and Christina Capiris. He was a graduate of the Saunders Technical School in Yonkers. He was a parishioner of the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Yonkers where he served for many years as an altar boy, having been tonsured by the late Patriarch Athenagoras, and where he attended Greek School. His passion was sports where he played football in the semi pro league. He served in the Armed Services during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1954. Upon his marriage to his beloved wife Stella, he moved to Connecticut and was employed at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. He later became the proprietor of Shoreham Liquor Store in Fairfield, for many years. He was an avid sports enthusiast, where for many years as a ticket season holder, he never missed a New York Giants football game.
He was predeceased by his beloved son, George Thomas, who was not only his son but his closest "buddy". He is survived by his beloved wife, Stella; his treasured son, Christopher and his wife, Marie Capiris; a cherished granddaughter, "Carrie"; two beloved godsons, Joseph Capiris and Paul Nikolaidis; his devoted brothers, Terry Capiris and his wife, Margaret and Thomas Capiris and his wife, Betty; a special brother-in-law, James Englis and his wife, Angela; a devoted cousin, Nicholas Nikolaidis and his wife, Cathy; and many loving nieces, nephews, and their respective families both here and in Greece.
The Rite of Burial will be celebrated on Monday, August 29, 2022 at 11 a.m. in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, with Fr. Georgios Livaditis, Presbyter, officiating, followed by interment at the Oak Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield. Calling hours will take place on Monday morning from 10 a.m. until time of service in the church. The Commerce Hill Funeral Home, 4798 Main Street, Bridgeport, has been entrusted with the services. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Trinity Church Iconography Project in memory of George.
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Anne Stamps, 81, Died; Westport Community Theater Actress, Former Westporter
Anne Stamps, 81, of Woodville, died August 16, 2022 at her residence. She was born in Detroit, MI on October 18, 1940 to the late James Howard Obey and Carol Aldrich Obey.
Cynthia was born in Detroit, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School. She attended Fairmont State College in WV where she met her husband, Raymond Thompson Stamps of 62 years. Cynthia earned her associates degree from NOVA. She was a model with Atlantic City Models Guild and in New York City.
Throughout her life she lived in Linwood, NJ, Westport, CT and Arlington, VA. Cynthia was a member of A.A. for 44 years, Reynold Memorial Baptist Church and its Praise Team Band. She was very active in RAAC theater doing hair, makeup, set design, directing and producing. She was also active in Westport Community Theater. She once owned a gift/antique shop in Washington, VA called Morning Glory Antiques. Cynthia loved clouds and was a member of the Cloud Society. Above all, she was an artist.
She is survived by her husband; her children, J. Britt Stamps (Annie) of Nokesville, VA and B. Chad Stamps (Christy Hartmann) of Fairfax Station, VA; four grandchildren, Sidney Harvey, Conner Stamps, McKenna Stamps, and Emmah Stamps; two sisters, Carolyn Bromberg (Richard) and Cathryn Alice Anderson; two brothers-in-law, George Stamps (Carolyn) and Gary Stamps; one sister-in-law, Penny DaGrossa; and a host of nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Cynthia is preceded in death by two brothers-in-law, Eric Anderson and Donald DaGrossa; and one sister-in-law, Jewel Stamps.
A service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 20, 2022 at Reynolds Memorial Baptist Church, 3748 Sperryville Pike, Sperryville, VA 22740 with Rev. Randy Clark and Rev. Jon Heddleston officiating. Interment will follow in St. Paul's Episcopal Cemetery in Woodville, VA.
There will be a reception at the church immediately following the interment. Pallbearers will be Deacon Terry Dixon, Deacon Doug Elkins, Deacon Dan Bailey, Greg Sanders, Dallas Clark, and Brian J. Ross. Honorary pallbearers will be Richard Bromberg, Gary Stamps, George Stamps, Deacon Ann Miller, and Deacon Linda Kline. The family would like to express their gratitude to Hospice of the Piedmont for their wonderful care and to members of the Reynolds Memorial Baptist Church and friends from the community. An online guestbook and tribute wall are available at www.foundandsons.com Found and Sons Funeral Chapel of Culpeper is serving the family.
Pearl Marcus, 99, Died; Former Coleytown PE Teacher, Longtime Westporter
Pearl Marcus passed peacefully at home in Westport, CT on August 9, 2022. She was 99 years old.
She was predeceased by her husband of 64 years, Marc (Melvin) Marcus.
To her family, Pearl was a Gigi, Momma, and Mom. What a wonderful and beautiful life she lived. She had a fantastic group of friends and a loving family. She was always there for all of us.
Pearl leaves two daughters and their spouses, five fun loving grandchildren, and two spouses, and four incredible great-grandchildren.
She lived a long and fulfilled life in Westport, CT. She was a physical education teacher at Coleytown Elementary School and was involved in the Westport community.
She enjoyed traveling, entertaining her family and friends, was an avid theatre patron, and had a great passion for tennis.
Pearl your love for your family and friends proved to be the mainstay of your awesome, incredible, and spectacular long life.
Recalling the song by Bette Midler "Wind Beneath My Wings", you were and will always remain the anchor of our family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Pearl's honor to: Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, 1073 N. Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824, https://quickcenter.fairfield.edu/ or Baltimore Squashwise, 2801 Sisson St., Suite 100, Baltimore, MD 21211, https://baltimoresquashwise.org/ (Pearl's great-niece is the Executive Director).
Agnes “Aggie” Veno, 67, Died; Staples Graduate, Artistic
Agnes "Aggie" Veno, age 67, of Westport, the loving daughter of Marie Veno and the late Andrew J. Veno, Sr., passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. Born in Norwalk, she attended Staples High School and worked as a manager at Pepperidge Farm.
Aggie was passionate about everything arts and crafts and loved doing craft fairs in Fairfield County. She was especially good at crocheting. Aggie was a great cook and baker and enjoyed the many gatherings with her extended family. She was an avid volunteer at St. Luke Church in Westport and was always willing to lend a hand.
In addition to her mother, she is survived by her sister, Joann (Steve) Porch; her godson, Nicholas Vena, Jr.; her many cousins, including Sadye Bella Bustillo, who had a special place in her heart. In addition to her father, she was predeceased by her brother, Andrew J. Veno, Jr.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, August 19, 2022 at 10:00 AM at St. Luke Church in Westport. Interment will follow in Assumption Cemetery in Greens Farms.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To send an online condolence, please visit www.shaughnesseybanks.com
Charles “Charlie” Crooks, 23, Died; Fairfield Native, “Not many get the chance to live that way.”
CHARLES HEW DALRYMPLE CROOKS: August 15, 1998 - July 29, 2022
Born in Lima, Peru on August 15, 1998. Died in a flying accident on July 29, 2022, in Raleigh, NC.
Raised in Fairfield, CT, Charlie attended Osborn Hill Elementary School and Roger Ludlowe Middle School. After completing his freshman year at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, he made the brave journey across the continent to Mill Bay, British Columbia to complete his high school education at Brentwood College School, his father's alma mater. He was admitted to Bucknell University, graduating in May 2020 with a BA in Political Science.
Charlie had numerous interests and talents. Several weeks each summer were spent at his grandparents' cottage on Gloucester Pool, where he honed his unique swimming style of bobbing with chin partially submerged. While he loved the water, Charlie lacked the necessary buoyancy to pursue swimming as a sport. Instead, he had the great fortune to meet Master KJ Ha of World Champion Tae Kwan Do in Fairfield. Through many years of dedication on the part of both master and student, Charlie was proud to achieve his second-degree black belt.
Leaving home for boarding school required a leap of faith, but Brentwood provided the environment in which Charlie truly began to excel academically, physically, artistically, and socially. He joined the cross country running club and was proud after much dedication to move "from the shame of being stuck in the slow group to feeling confident as a solid member of the medium-slow group." He tried his hand at rowing, competed on the debate team, and perhaps most importantly learned from his band of brothers in Rogers House to give and receive true friendship and to have confidence in his unique gifts. His time at Brentwood culminated in the ultimate honor of being elected by his classmates to give the valedictorian speech for the class of 2016. Delivered with his trademark combination of self-deprecation and sly wit, his final moments at Brentwood were spent walking from the stage wearing a giant smile, to an explosion of cheers and a standing ovation. At Bucknell, Charlie joined the Bison Battalion, Bucknell's chapter of ROTC, completed Basic Camp at Fort Knox, founded the Bucknell chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, competed on the ski team, and discovered a gift for art and sculpture.
Aviation was Charlie's overriding passion practically from birth. He read every flight book he could get his hands on and was known occasionally to wear one on his head for transcranial absorption of knowledge. As a young teenager, he built an actual flight simulator and developed a love for flying remote control planes, but the real fun began when he took his first flying lessons at Three Wing Aviation in Stratford, CT. He continued his training throughout college in Williamsport, PA, soloing in August of 2017. Facing a complete lack of demand for pilots during the early phase of the pandemic, Charlie doggedly, yet cheerfully, pursued his dream of becoming a professional pilot, earning various advanced ratings and qualifying as a Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor before landing a job in May 2021 as a flight instructor at Flightgest Academy at the Raleigh-Durham Airport. He was greatly admired by his students and colleagues for his teaching style. His celebrated whiteboard drawings made even the most complex concepts both humorous and easy to understand; many have been photographed and preserved by his fellow instructors. In April 2022, Charlie accepted his dream job as a First Officer with Rampart Aviation, a specialist contractor primarily conducting support operations for the Department of Defense. He was very proud of the company and pleased to announce to his family that he had earned the nickname "Tuna," signaling his full acceptance as part of the Rampart team. When not on the job, Charlie fused his love for art, technology, and aviation, producing custom designed, 3-D printed components that he shipped to other flight simulator enthusiasts around the world.
The resume of Charlie's life could never fully describe the legacy he leaves. He was guided always by a strong moral compass; a fierce love for and loyalty to his family and friends; and a heart that was open and forgiving. He gave everyone a chance. His sense of humor was legendary – the far side of The Far Side. As a boy, he insisted on being the Batmobile in proud and practical support of his younger brother's and sister's Batman and Robin for Halloween. Charlie reveled in the eclectic, with a taste in music that ranged from bossa nova to King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard. Without guile or affectation, he nonetheless enjoyed putting on a suit for wine night with friends, sometimes with trademark aviator glasses and empty pipe, an inside joke. This spring he used his new regular paycheck to purchase a reliably unreliable 1978 Fiat convertible. He spent many hours and more than a few dollars trying to keep the car roadworthy while avoiding tetanus.
There was so much joy. Earlier this year he posted an update to friends on Instagram that began "Long time, no life updates so here's the recap," and ended with "This has been a very eventful year, and while there have been challenges, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life and I wouldn't trade places with anyone in the world."
Charlie's wonderful friends in Chapel Hill, aka The Terrace Club, were central to his sense of fulfillment and belonging. Only days before his death, Charlie shared with his parents that he was exactly where he wanted to be doing exactly what he wanted to do. Not many get the chance to live that way.
Charlie is survived by his parents Hew and Kate, brother Crawford (22), his sister Mary (20) of Fairfield, CT, his maternal grandmother Mary Zipser of Savannah, GA and his paternal grandparents Art and Mary Jane Crooks of Lethbridge, Alberta, his aunts Melissa Zipser Murray, Claire Crooks Goodall (George), and uncle Morgan Crooks (Aimee), first cousins Katherine and Elizabeth Murray, Finn, Sydney, Grady, and Tilly Goodall, Riley and Andrew Crooks.
The funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 13th at 11 am at Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 75 Church Lane, Westport, CT. A reception will be held in Branson Hall in the church immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to the charity Above the Clouds (abovethecloudskids.org).
Anthony T. Gilbertie, 84, Died; Former RTM Member, Assumption Church Cantor
Anthony T Gilbertie, 84, lifelong resident of Westport, passed away on August 3, 2022, due to a long, courageous battle with Parkinson's.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Diane Taylor-Gilbertie; his three children, Tom Gilbertie and his wife, Anne. Peter Gilbertie and his wife, Dee and Nancy Gilbertie-Loshuk; and also five grandchildren. Griffin Gilbertie, William Gilbertie, Thomas Gilbertie, Christopher Gilbertie and Jack Loshuk.
He is predeceased by his parents, John Gilbertie, Sr and Lillian Gilbertie; as well as all his siblings, John Gilbertie Jr, Mario Gilbertie, Linda Gilbertie-Bullard, and Michael Gilbertie. Anthony was also predeceased by two baby siblings, Thomas and Gloria.
Anthony was a devout Catholic and a lifelong member of the Assumption Church, where he was a cantor for 13 years. In most recent years, he was employed by the US Postal Service as a rural carrier in Weston.
He was the 5th member of the Gilbertie family to serve on the RTM in Westport. Anthony was a big fan of history, current events and the New York Yankees.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests a donation to the Assumption Church in Westport, or The Parkinson's Foundation.
The Wake will be held on Friday, August 12th from 8:30-10:30 AM at the Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Rd., East Westport, CT 06880. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held the same day at 11:00 AM at the Assumption Church, 98 Riverside Ave., Westport, CT 06880; followed by burial at Assumption Cemetery on Greens Farms Rd. in Westport.
The family kindly requests that all wear masks, some family members are immunocompromised.
Jeanne Wylie Crist, 99, Died; Longtime Westporter, Saugatuck Congregational Member
Jeanne Wylie Crist, 99 years young, passed from this earth on August 3, 2022. A resident of Kimball Farms in Lenox for eleven years, she made many friends and was able to live near her daughter, Karen Crist Miller and her family.
Born on December 2, 1922, Jeanne was the only child of Hugh Wood Wylie and Nordica Root Wylie of Binghamton, NY. Her father rose through the ranks from pharmacy clerk to regional sales with Merck, Sharp and Dohme during the Great Depression and the family lived in Dearborn, MI before settling in Albany, NY.
Jeanne married her Albany high school sweetheart, Robert W. Crist ("Mike"), in 1947 after working with the Naval Department in New York City and Mike's service in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Two sons were born in New York City before they settled in Westport, CT where Karen was born in 1956.
They resided in Westport for nearly 50 years before moving to Lenox in 2011 when Mike's health faltered. They were members of Saugatuck Congregational Church, loved walking Compo Beach and cherished many friends. In retirement they purchased a cottage on Lake Bomoseen in Vermont where Mike had enjoyed his childhood. Lee's Point was shared joyously with their children and grandchildren for swimming, boating, badminton, mini-golf, barbecues, board games and so much more. Jeanne and Mike also travelled extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Jeanne was preceded in death by her husband, Mike, in 2011, her son, Robert Wylie "Lee" Crist (Darlene Trew Crist), in 1983 and son, Jeffrey Hugh Crist, in 2017. She is survived by her daughter, Karen (Matthew Miller), three grandchildren - Matthew Charles "Chas" (Ashley), Geoffrey Robert (Michelle) and Kathleen Wylie "Kaylee", and five great-grandchildren - Charley Grace, Nuala Allison, Declan Joseph, Wylie Hope and Penelope Dawn.
We are all grateful to the entire Kimball Farms community where Jeanne thrived in many activities and was well served as her health declined, including during the pandemic. Similarly, her care by the BMC medical staff and team was supremely competent and compassionate.
A graveside service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Westport, CT where she will be interred with her beloved Mike and two sons.
To share memories and stories please visit rochefuneralhome.com
Julia Ann Riester, 81, Died; Artist, Avid Reader, Former Westporter
On July 31, 2022, Julia Ann Walsh Riester, loving mother, grandmother and friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at the age of 81.
Julia (Julie) was born on Feb. 11, 1941 in La Grange, Ky. to John and Elizabeth Walsh. Growing up in La Grange, Julie was an avid reader, national award winning 4H member and had a love for the arts. She graduated from Louisville's Sacred Heart High School then went on to enjoy her time at St. Mary's College in South Bend, Ind. where she gained recognition for her artistic talents and graduated in 1963.
Julie continued her education and graduated from University of Louisville with a Masters degree in 1964. Using her artistic talents and education degree, she moved to Boston for several years supporting development of textbooks. On May 27, 1967, she married John Thomas Riester II (Jack). Early in their marriage, they briefly lived in Westport, Conn. Then returned to Columbus, Ind. where they raised three sons and a daughter.
Julie was an active member at St. Bartholomew Church where she taught and volunteered at St. Bartholomew School while supporting and volunteering for her children's various community engagements, member of Book, Garden and Social Clubs, enjoyed playing tennis and supporting the community of Wrightsville Beach, NC. Along with her faith, Julie's family was always a focused value in her life.
Julie's passing was preceded by her husband of 47 years, John Thomas Riester II (Jack). Julie is survived by her son, John Thomas III and his wife Laura Sue Wisehart in Union, Ky.; a daughter, Katherine Marie and her husband, Ryan Patrick Carr, and grandchildren, William, John and Andrew in Austin, Texas; a son, James Patrick, and his wife, Jill Collet, in Cincinnati, Ohio; and a son, Mark Edward, and his wife, Sarah Granger, and grandson, John Thomas IV (Jack) and granddaughter, Georgia James in Prosper, Texas.
Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church with Father Clem Davis officiating. Family and friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Barkes, Weaver & Glick Funeral Home on Washington Street and 9 to 9:45 a.m. Friday at the church. In keeping with the family's wishes, cremation will take place following the service.
Lynda Crawford Abshire, 82, Died; Gifted Musician, Westporter
Lynda Crawford Abshire passed away in Westport, CT on Wednesday July 20, 2022 after a long struggle with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Lynda was born in Pecos, TX on March 5, 1940, and was the only child of Jo and Vernon Crawford.
A sensitive and gifted musician, Lynda graduated from the University of North Texas in 1962, majoring in Music. She went on to earn two masters degrees in arts-related disciplines.
In addition to keyboards, Lynda was also an accomplished recorder player and classical singer, specializing in baroque recorder and chamber choral music. While living in Atlanta, Lynda sang with Robert Shaw's Atlanta Symphony Chorus. After moving to Westport, CT from Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2009, Lynda joined the Southern Connecticut Camerata, with whom she sang in many public concerts. She also performed frequently in the Connecticut area with the Dolce Ensemble.
Lynda also enjoyed performing as an actor with community musical theater groups. In 2012, she performed the role of Joanne in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Company" with the Westport Community Theater, which Lynda described as, "The role of a lifetime."
Lynda was a lifelong Democrat and the longstanding companion of Sandra Wagenfeld of Westport, CT. Lynda is survived by her sons Gary Vern Abshire and Michael Krystian Abshire, as well as by her former husband, Robert Abshire, all of Fort Worth, Texas. Lynda specifically wished to express her deep gratitude to Wendy Awa, David Lassow, Martha Scales, and Valerie Wagenfeld for the devoted care they have given her during her illness.
William Bradford Sowik, Staples Grad, Air Force Veteran, Died
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of William Bradford Sowik on July 13, 2022. He passed away peacefully after a 5 year battle with cancer.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of almost 50 years, Sherri, his sons, Jason (Samantha) and Jeremy (Olivia) and grandchildren Kingston and Noah; sister Sharene Chiaia (Louie), and his cousins Frank and Ellen, nieces and nephews and many extended family members.
Born and raised in CT, Bill spent many summers out at Cockenoe Island, graduated from Staples High School and graduated from UConn with a degree in Environmental Sciences. He was a veteran of the U. S. Air Force. He jogged for many years and enjoyed playing golf and had the highlight of hitting a hole in one in 2012. He worked for many years for the State of CT monitoring air quality as a field technician at the DEEP.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street, Willimantic, CT on Saturday, August 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We will always be grateful to the staff of Dr. Joseph McLaughlin at the John DeQuattro Cancer Center and Bill's hospice team as well as family and many friends who were there for us.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made online to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (www.pcf.org). If mailing, the address is 1250 Fourth Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Please reference Bill's name "in memory" in either the online or sent donation. Inform them of your name and address so they can notify the family of your donation. Also, donations can be made to Visiting Nurse & Health Services of Connecticut to enable donations of medical supplies for people who need them at www.echn.org. Please write checks out to VNHSC Hospice and send to VNHSC Hospice, 8 Keynote Drive, Vernon, CT 06066. For complete obituary and online condolences, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com.