Category Archives: Obituaries

Death Announced of Eleanor Frey Counselman, Mother of Catherine Catucci of Old Lyme, CT and Charlie Counselman of Morrisville, NC

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Eleanor Frey Counselman 

Eleanor Frey Counselman of Lexington, MA and Old Lyme, CT formerly of Belmont, MA died September 4, 2025.

Born in Oakland, CA  on January 6, 1946 Eleanor was the daughter of Boyd Gallatin Frey and Eleanor Marie (Horning) Frey. Raised in Baltimore, MD,  Eleanor attended the Bryn Mawr School. She received a BA in Psychology from Wellesley College and an Ed.D. from Boston University. 

Eleanor was a practicing Psychologist until her retirement in 2023. She was an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School where she worked with Third Year Residents to help find Work/Life balance through therapy. She was named a Distinguished Fellow by the American Group Psychotherapy Association.

Eleanor spent her life helping people through her work and her countless volunteer positions, both personal and professional. Eleanor was President of the Northeastern Society for Group Psychotherapy, President of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, President of the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy, a Town Meeting Member for the Town of Belmont, served on the Board of Belmont Day School, taught Sunday School, served on the Church Vestry, and still somehow found time to cook dinner every night and bake hundreds of cookies for Christmas. After her retirement and relocation to Lexington she dove head first into volunteerism at Brookhaven, joined the Social Committee and was nominated as Secretary of the Board. 

Eleanor is survived by her husband of 59 years, Charles C Counselman III. They met in 1959 at Mrs Farber’s Dancing School in Baltimore and reconnected as undergraduates at Wellesley and MIT. Their fathers were classmates at Johns Hopkins University. 

She is also survived by her daughter Catherine Catucci and husband Ryan of Old Lyme, CT, her son Charlie Counselman and wife Linh Pham of Morrisville, NC, her beloved Grandchildren Jameson and Olivia Catucci of Old Lyme, CT, and her sister Mikal Frey of Sarasota, FL.

Eleanor also leaves behind her Sister in Law Susan Healy and husband Tom of Richmond, VA, Brother in Law Skip Counselman and wife Margie of Cockeysville, MD, and Sister in Law Cathy Kelly and husband Charlie of Sewickley, PA , cousin Leslie Vestrich and husband Mark of San Francisco, CA as well as many nieces and nephews she adored. 

Eleanor was a connector and loved to bring people together. She stayed in touch with lifelong friends including her Wellesley College Suitemates, The Caz Group who held a bi-monthly Zoom. She hosted a Christmas Tea every December and invited women from all aspects of her life; she had a way of making everyone feel welcome. Eleanor loved to hike, travel, cook, quilt, and read. She was an avid runner until her 60s. Of all the roles in her life Eleanor was most suited for being Grammie. She made the best pancakes, shared childhood stories and never minded when she woke up with a child or two in her bed. 

In memory of Eleanor please consider a donation to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation to a fund named in her honor: https://give.themmrf.org/fundraiser/6655490

A Memorial Luncheon will be hosted by her family on Sunday, October 12, 11am at The Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center at Wellesley College.

Death Announced of Norman B. Peck Jr., 96, of Niantic; Father of Norman B. Peck III, David Peck, and Diane P. Rothman

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Norman B. Peck Jr.

NIANTIC — Surrounded by family, Norman B. Peck Jr. of Niantic passed away peacefully on Wednesday September 17th at the age of 96 at the Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. Born in New London, CT on May 1, 1929 to Norman and Esther Peck, Norm married Ann (Bonafede) Peck on August 11, 1951. They shared a full life together for nearly seventy years.

Norman was predeceased by his mother and father, his sister Anne Calkins and his wife Ann B. Peck. He is survived by his brother Thomas O. Peck and his three children: son Norman B. Peck III, wife Patricia Avery and their children Tyler Engleberg, Hayley (Adam) McCaffery and great-granddaughter Miller; son David A. Peck, wife Nina and their children Sarah (Harper) Williams, LCDR Charlie (Danielle) Peck and Dave Peck; and a daughter Diane P. Rothman, husband Peter and their children Matthew and Nicholas Rothman.

A 1947 graduate of The Bulkeley School in New London, Norm attended his 78th class reunion only 12 days before his death. This was also slated to be the last reunion for this beloved local school.

Norm was actively involved in civic affairs. He was the past president of the East Lyme Historical Society for 27 years, devoting that time to the preservation of the Thomas Lee House. He was past chairman of the East Lyme Planning Board, VP of the Chamber of Commerce of Southeastern CT, a lifelong member of the Niantic Fire Department, a member of the East Lyme Charter Revision Committee, instrumental in the formation of the Southeastern CT Council of Government, and a member of the East Lyme Library Association. As a history buff with particular interest in the Civil War, he was a member of the Connecticut 5th Infantry, a re-enactment group, where he attended both the 125th and 135th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Norm served in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

After a sixty-four-year career with Smith Insurance, Norm retired on his 89th birthday on May 1, 2018. He served as a President and owner of Smith, previously one of the largest independently owned agencies in Connecticut. Customer care and employee concern were always his focus.

Norm was passionate about his hobbies. He was a past Commodore of the Niantic Bay Yacht Club with extensive involvement in the development and growth of the Club throughout his life. He skippered his Atlantic Class sailboat to 16 national titles from 1973 until securing his last one at the age of 81. He was a member of the Off Soundings Club and won several Club events with his family aboard his Morgan 36T, the Spirit. Norm inspired his children to sail and ski. The family would race boats together until he was nearly 90 years old. At the age of 35, encouraged by his sister, Norm became an avid skier and continued skiing with his family and friends until age 85, primarily at Magic Mountain, Vermont, where his extended family spent many happy winter weekends at the family ski house. His love of sailing and skiing bridged the generations, providing endless enjoyment and cherished memories for himself, children and grandchildren. He will be missed.

A funeral service will be held at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, September 27th, at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Old Lyme. Interment will follow at Union Cemetery in Niantic. There are no calling hours. A special thank you to Norm’s medical doctors, particularly Dr. Constantine Manthous for his outstanding care and counsel during the final years. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in memory of Norman and Ann Peck, payable to: East Lyme Scholarship Association, P.O. Box 190, Niantic, CT 06357.

In the care of the Fulton-Theroux Funeral Service.

Death Announced of Stephen Auguste Theodore Basil, 92, of Lyme; Known to SE CT Fishing Fleet as ‘Captain Bob’

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LYME — Stephen Auguste Theodore Basil, known to the Southeast Connecticut fishing fleet as Captain Bob, died peacefully Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 at his home in Lyme. He was 92 years old …

… he worked in sales for many years before moving to Connecticut to start his commercial charter fishing business. He built his wooden hull fishing boat, the Capt. Bob II, with Seth Persson in Old Saybrook …

The Captain is survived by his wife, Susan Roberts Basil; and his two daughters and son-in-law, Laurie Beth Roberts of Branford, and Kathi Roberts Constantinou and Anthony Constantinou of Lakewood Ranch, Fla.; and three grandchildren, Briana Constantinou and her fiance Adham Makki of Tampa, Fla.; Brooke Constantinou Lieberman and her husband Peter Lieberman Jr., of Tampa, Fla.; and Christopher Constantinou and his wife Teresa Tripodi Constantinou, of Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Services will be private. The family asks that if so inclined, please make donations in memory of Mr. Stephen Basil to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries, P.O.Box 804, Essex, CT 06426.

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read the full obituary published by ‘The Day’ on Sep. 21, 2025.

Death Announced of Phyllis Murray McDowell, 99; Memorial Service to be Held in Old Lyme, Oct. 10

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CHESTER — Phyllis Murray McDowell, mental health visionary, mother, grandmother, great- grandmother, athlete, ballroom dancer, active listener and deep conversationalist, died on September 12, 2025 at her home in Chester, Connecticut. She was 99 years old.

Phyllis was born on July 1, 1926, in New York City to Arthur and Kathryn Murray, founders of the Arthur Murray dance studios …

She is survived by her four daughters, Kathryn P. Magown, Martha M. McDowell, Meg A. Smith, and Patience P. (Duby) McDowell, her sons-in-law Bruce F. Magown, O. Whitman Smith, and Joshua I. Wall, [seven] grandchildren … and five great-grandchildren …

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her honor to Fellowship Place in New Haven, Connecticut. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, October 10th, at 11am at First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read the full obituary published Sept. 17, 2025 in the Hartford Courant.

Death Announced of John Allan Bysko Jr. of Lyme; 1997 Graduate of LOL High School, Highly Regarded Member of North Haven FD

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John Allan Bysko, Jr.

LYME, CT – John Allan Bysko, Jr. of Lyme, CT passed away on August 31, 2025. He was born in New London, CT on November 28, 1978 to John and Jane Bysko.

He graduated from Lyme-Old Lyme High School in 1997. He was a member of the National Honor Society, ran cross country, rowed crew and loved spending time with his group of friends skiing, snowboarding, jet skiing and boating.

He became a Junior member of the Old Lyme Fire Department when he was 15 years old, a Senior member in 1997 as well as becoming an Emergency Medical Technician when he was 17. He volunteered and worked for Old Lyme Ambulance for over 20 years.

After high school, John went on to spend one year at the Coast Guard Academy before quickly realizing that wasn’t for him. From there he went to UCONN, getting a degree in Health Care Management from the School of Business and realized that this wasn’t quite what he wanted to do.

He became a Paramedic and worked at the Shoreline Clinic in Westbrook as well as for AMR in New Haven. He enrolled in the Connecticut Fire Academy and graduated in 2011 with class #48 and began his career, his real true calling, with the North Haven Fire Department where he served for 14 years. Someone from his Fire Department family wrote the following: “His sudden death left the firehouse silent in a way no alarm ever could, leaving behind a team that relied on his calm during chaos and his humor during long shifts. Bysko earned trust not just through skill but through kindness. His colleagues described him as someone who brought warmth to the station and steadiness to the field.”

John leaves behind his mother, Jane, his sister, Jennifer, sister, Jillian and brother-in-law Glen Bobowicz as well as his nephews and niece, Brody, Ella, Noah, Elias and Owen. He was predeceased by his father, John A. Bysko, Sr., in October 2024.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 11:00 at Christ the King Church, 1 McCurdy Road, Old Lyme, CT. Burial will follow in Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme with a reception to follow at his favorite restaurant, Sapore Pizzeria.