Obituaries

Susan Bathrick Fischer, who grew up in Darien, died at her California home on Sunday, Feb. 12, surrounded by her family, after a battle against cancer and the lingering effects of childhood polio. She was 73.

Born Sept. 29, 1938, in New York City, she spent her childhood in Darien. “She contracted polio in 1945,” her family said, “an experience that significantly shaped her force of character and the intense drive that defined the way she grappled with life and engaged the people around her.”

She graduated from Darien High School in 1956, where she was active in student government. Mrs. Fischer attending Skidmore College in Saratoga, N.Y., followed by a year of study at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

In 1959 she married Bill Fischer, her husband of 53 years, then a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor. She continued her education at the University of Hawaii, moving to Berkeley, Calif., in 1960 where she completed her bachelor’s degree in French.

There she had two sons: Alex, born in San Francisco in 1964, and Nathan, now deceased, born in Oakland in 1966. At Berkeley she was an ardent participant in the student peace movement, her family said.

In 1967 she moved to Buffalo, N.Y., where her third son Matthew was born in 1969. Her family expanded later that year to include Jim Merigold who, over time, became her fourth son. She was a volunteer in the Head Start Program, counseled conscientious objectors at the Western New York Peace Center, and earned her master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at the University at Buffalo.

She then pursued a 20-year career at Horizon Human Services, serving as a psychotherapist in a community mental health setting. She worked extensively with Vietnam War Veterans and created a program for people with physical disabilities. Mrs. Fischer and her husband retired to Oceanside, Calif., in 2002, where she was active in voter reform and participated in politics that she felt best served the common good.

“Her vivid temperament and gift for engaging people were shaped by three remarkable women: her mother, Margaret Holmes Bathrick; her aunt, Elizabeth ‘Bee’ Holmes; and her childhood caretaker, Julia Richardson,” her family said. “Her beauty and spirit were uncanny and inspiring, profoundly touching friends and family alike. She combined great strength with an engaging grace that inevitably drew people to her.”

“She lived life fully, devoting her last years to her family, especially her beloved grandchildren: Noah and Charlie, sons of Alex and Caryn, and Linnea and Skylar, daughters of Matthew and Kristin. May her new journey be filled with the guidance, light, and sense of adventure she has so abundantly conveyed to us all.”

Memorial donations may be made to the Susan B. Fischer Memorial Fund at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037.

Michelle LaBranche Campbell of Darien, formerly of Rowayton and Greenwich, died of natural causes in Darien on Feb. 14.

One of four children, Mrs. Campbell was born in New York City in 1929, the daughter of George M.L. LaBranche and Sara Jane Spahr. She attended Spence School, Westover, and graduated Sarah Lawrence College.

She married the late Edward A. Daly, and raised a family of four children in Greenwich, Dina Delaini of Costa Rica, Mindy Green of Rowayton, Mark Daly of Hood River, Ore., and Brooke Daly of Corvallis, Ore.

Mrs. Campbell had great sense of style, her family said. “She appeared in a 1952 edition of Vogue magazine as a country club symbol of athleticism and grace. She had a ‘green thumb,’ loved a good party and made beautiful art.” Her family and friends enjoyed her great sense of humor, quick wit and warm heart.

She is survived by her brother, Anthony LaBranche of Pittsburgh, Pa, her four children, her seven grandchildren, and her great granddaughter.

A service will be held at Atria of Darien, 50 Ledge Road, on Monday, Feb. 20, at 4:30.

Arne G. Ohrn, a longtime resident of Darien, died at home on Thursday, Feb. 9. Mr. Ohrn, 96, was the husband of Irene Ohrn.

Born in Dalarna, Sweden, on June 11, 1915. Mr. Ohrn came to America with his family in 1924, at the age of 9.

read moreObituary: Arne G. Ohrn, 96, longtime Darien resident

Elizabeth “Betty” W. Gluck of Wilton, a former longtime Darien resident, who was an editor with Glamour and other magazines, died Thursday, Feb. 9, with her family at her side. She was 89.

Born on Feb. 13, 1922, in the Bronx, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Anna White.

read moreObituary: Elizabeth ‘Betty’ W. Gluck, 89, former longtime Darien resident, Glamour editor

Charles J. Johnson Jr., a former longtime Darien resident, died Thursday, Feb. 2, at his home in Savannah, Ga. Mr. Johnson, 80, was the husband of Chris Johnson.

Born in Jersey City, N.J., he was a graduate of Darien High School, Yale College and Harvard Law School and lived in Darien for nearly 50 years. He was a securities lawyer at the firm Brown & Wood in New York City.

read moreObituary: Charles J. Johnson Jr., 80, Former Darien resident, United Way president

Michael V. Labozzo of Darien died on Saturday, Feb. 4, surrounded by his family at Stamford Hospital. He was 45.

Born in Stamford on Oct. 17, 1966, he was the son of Victor and Joan LaBozzo.

Mr. Labozzo’s enjoyments consisted of his sports teams, New York Yankees and the Giants and Nascar (Jeff Gordon No. 24). “Michael’s biggest success was all the lives he touched with his love each and every day and never missed a challenging chess game,” his family said.

Besides his parents, Mr. Labozzo is survived by his sisters, Diana Daniele and her husband Fortunato of Stamford and Lisa LaBozzo of Darien; and nephews, Ralph and Michael Daniele of Stamford; and his dog, Maverick.

A funeral procession will be leaving the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Ave., Stamford, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 11:30 for a Mass of Christian Burial at noon at St. John’s R.C. Church, 1986 Post Road, Darien. Entombment will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, 223 Richards Ave., Norwalk.

Memorial donations may be made to St. John’s R.C. Church, 1986 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820.

Matthew Kovacs, a life long resident of Darien, died Saturday, Jan. 28, at Stamford Hospital. He was 28.

Born on March 18, 1983, in Stamford, he was the son of Stephen Kovacs of Darien and the late Barbara Ann Matthys Kovacs. He was a graduate of Darien High School.

Besides his father, he is survived by a brother, Stephen Kovacs Jr.; a sister, Jennifer Strada; a nephew, Joseph Strada and a niece, Ava Strada, all of Darien; a grandmother, Georgiann Mattys also of Darien. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Robert Matthys and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kovacs.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. John R.C. Church on Saturday, Feb. 4. Burial was private. Memorial donations may be sent to St. Jude Tribute Program, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142.

Virginia B. Rand of Essex, a former Darien resident and business owner, died Wednesday, Feb. 1. She was 99.

She was born Nov. 29, 1912, in New York City to Edward and Elizabeth Schoder Barrett.

Mrs. Rand, raised her family in Darien. She was active for many years in the Children’s Aid Society of Connecticut and was a long-term member of the Darien Garden Club. Mrs. Rand was one of the original owners of Entre Nous, a gift and needlepoint boutique in Darien. In 1995, she and her husband moved to Essex Meadows in Essex, where they spent the rest of their lives. One of her greatest joys in her later life was the time she was able to devote to her grandchildren, her family said.

Mrs. Rand was predeceased by her husband, Richard Rand. She is survived by three children, her son, Richard Rand Jr. and his wife Revonda Barger of North Carolina; daughter, Lee Simonds Brown and her husband Shepard Brown of Massachusetts and son, Robert Rand of Massachusetts; eight grandchildren, Richard Rand III, Whitney Franz, Christina Fish, Courtney James, Peter Simonds, Charlie Simonds, Ginny Ramos, Chris Simonds; 33 great-grandchildren, a sister, Dorothy Fuller and a brother, Mike Barrett.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the First Congregational Church in Old Lyme.

Memorial donations may be made to Essex Meadows Scholarship Fund, 30 Bokum Road, Essex CT 06426.

Ballard Hill Cantrell of Pine Point, Rowayton, died on Monday, Jan. 30, at Norwalk Hospital after a brief illness. A sailor and woodworker, Mr. Cantrell, 91, grew up in Darien and lived in Rowayton for the past 52 years.

Mr. Cantrell was born in New York City on April 17, 1920, the only child of the late Ruth Ballard and Florent Cantrell. He was raised in Darien and attended local schools. At 14, Mr. Cantrell began working at Hickory Bluff in Rowayton, which began his life-long association there and his love of sailing.

Mr. Cantrell graduated from Darien High School in 1938 and soon began a 39-year career with the Southern New England Telephone Company. With advent of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served in the Communications Division, and worked tracking German U-boats in both Long Island Sound and New York Harbor. Mr. Cantrell was then transferred to the West Coast, where he was stationed at Camp McQuaid in Watsonville, Calif.

In 1949, Mr. Cantrell married Grace Ruddy of Stamford. She predeceased him in 1995.

Mr. Cantrell was an avid sailor, who enjoyed both long and short trips with family, friends and sometimes alone. He drew great strength from the sea. He was also a self-taught wood worker and produced many beautiful, intricate and creative pieces, his family said. His hobbies also included fishing and a love of dogs. A kind and gentle man, Ballard was always willing to help others.

Mr. Cantrell is survived by his two sons, Michael Cantrell and his wife Kay Pennington Cantrell of Madison, and Peter Cantrell of Rowayton; two grandchildren, Kimberly Cantrell and Christopher Cantrell of Madison.

There are no calling hours. A celebration of his life was held on Sunday, Feb. 5, at the Rowayton Yacht Club.

Memorial donations may be sent to Save the Sound, CT Fund for the Environment, 142 Temple Street, 3rd Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

The Edward Lawrence Funeral Home in Darien is in charge of the arrangements.