Obituaries

Obituary: Ceil Zangrillo Danna, 86, Darien resident was owner of Linden Cleaners

Ceil Zangrillo Danna, a lifelong resident of Darien, CT and a former winter resident of Boca Raton, FL, passed away on Friday, April 7, 2012 in Darien. Born December 29, 1925 in Darien, she was the daughter of the late Pasquale and Mae Carmella Zangrillo. She was 86.

Ceil graduated from Darien High School. She was owner and operator of Linden Cleaners, Inc. for 65 years. She was a member of the Shorehaven Golf Club in Norwalk, CT and Boca Del Mar Country Club in Boca Raton, FL.

read moreObituary: Ceil Zangrillo Danna, 86, Darien resident was owner of Linden Cleaners

Obituary: Alfred ‘Al’ Frank LaBanca, 81, longtime Darien resident

Alfred (Al) Frank LaBanca, a resident of Darien for over 47 years died peacefully on Thursday, April 5, at Stamford Hospital surrounded by family. He was 81 years old.

Al chose to write his own obituary as follows:

First, I thank the Good Lord for blessing me with my loving wife Joan, of over fifty years, two wonderful children, Ellen and Bob, and their spouses, Scott Connery, and Mary LaBanca, and four loving grandchildren: Cortland, Nicholas, Lauren and Cate all of Darien. My cup runneth over.

read moreObituary: Alfred ‘Al’ Frank LaBanca, 81, longtime Darien resident

Obituary: Robert J. Rosic, 79, Darien Junior Football founder

obt-rosic 04-19Robert J. Rosic, a 50-year Darien resident, who was a founder of the Darien Junior Football League, died Wednesday, April 11, at Stamford Hospital. He was 79.

Born Sept. 18, 1932, in Stamford, he was the son of the late George and Frances Mahala Rosic.

Mr. Rosic graduated from Stamford High School. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. In 1967, he founded and remained active with Town Electric Inc. in Darien. He was a parishioner of St. Thomas More R.C. Church and was one of the founders of the Darien Junior Football League.

He is survived by his three children, Debra R. Yamada of Gaithersburg, Md., Robert J. Rosic Jr. of Easton, and Wendy R. Counts of Lynchburg, Va.; even grandchildren; and a sister, Florence Griffin of Denver. He was predeceased by his wife, Beverly Rosic in 2003; a son, Randall J. Rosic in 2002 and 12 brothers and sisters.

read moreObituary: Robert J. Rosic, 79, Darien Junior Football founder

Obituary: Burma R. Castle, 92, longtime Darien resident, volunteer

Burma R. Castle, a 50-year Darien resident, died Thursday, April 12, at Brighton Gardens in Stamford. Mrs. Castle, 92, was the wife of Richard D. Castle.

Born Oct. 30, 1919, in Belding, Mich., she was the daughter of the late John Arthur and Gracie Bradshaw Cory.

Mrs. Castle was a member of Noroton Presbyterian Church, the Country Club of Darien, and the Darien Community Association. She was also a volunteer reader at Royle Elementary School in Darien.

read moreObituary: Burma R. Castle, 92, longtime Darien resident, volunteer

Obituary: Ellen M. Walsh, 83, longtime Darien resident, teacher

Ellen M. Heffron Walsh, a 43-year Darien resident and popular substitute teacher in Darien Schools, died Monday, April 9, at Norwalk Hospital after a brief illness. She was 83.

The daughter of John and Mary Heffron, Mrs. Walsh was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was raised in Flatbush and spent summers at her family home in Scott’s Beach, Miller Place, Long Island. She graduated from St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn and received a master’s degree in education from City College of New York.

read moreObituary: Ellen M. Walsh, 83, longtime Darien resident, teacher

Robert S. Foote, 85, longtime Darien resident, engineer on GWB design

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RSFooteRobert S. Foote, a former longtime Darien resident, died on Friday, March 30, at the Village at Waveny Care Center in New Canaan. Born Jan. 24, 1927, in Winthrop, Mass., he was the son of the late Helen Spofford and Charles Silas Foote. He was 85.

Mr. Foote received his bachelor’s of naval science degree from Dartmouth College in 1946 and a master of civil engineering degree from Yale University in 1949. He began his career with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and then completed his Navy service from 1951-53, stationed in Greece.

Upon his return to the Port Authority Mr. Foote was manager of the Research Division of the Tunnels & Bridges Department, where he participated in the design of the lower level of the George Washington Bridge, the catwalk car system in the Lincoln Tunnel, and the preliminary development of automatic vehicle identification systems, the precursor to EZ-Pass.

read moreRobert S. Foote, 85, longtime Darien resident, engineer on GWB design

Obituary: Rita Frances Jenkins, 78, longtime Darien resident

Rita Frances Jenkins, a Darien resident since 1973, died Tuesday, April 3, at Stamford Hospital. Mrs. Jenkins, 78, was the wife of Daniel Jenkins.

Born Aug. 24, 1933, in Ashtabula, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Loretta Moats Recker.

Mrs. Jenkins graduated from Kent State University and was a parishioner of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien.

read moreObituary: Rita Frances Jenkins, 78, longtime Darien resident

Obituary: G. Emerson Cole, 93, former Darien resident, WWII veteran, broadcaster

G. Emerson Cole of Pinehurst, N.C., a former longtime Darien resident, who served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and went on to become a radio broadcaster died Saturday, March 31. He was 93.

• Check out the tribute to Mr. Cole at WIOZ.com

Mr. Cole was born Jan. 5, 1919. He graduated from Cornell University with mechanical engineering and business administration degrees in 1941. Cornell was where Mr. Cole began his career in broadcasting by building and operating a wired college network station, which has become the Cornell FM radio station.

read moreObituary: G. Emerson Cole, 93, former Darien resident, WWII veteran, broadcaster