Marlene Coscina Tufano, 81, beloved wife of sixty years to Joseph P. Tufano, died peacefully on April 9, 2023 at home with her loving family by her side. …
She shared pure love as the mother of Lana, Gary, and Greg, and her family defined her life …
Marlene is survived by her daughter Lana Angelo and her husband Ron of Wethersfield, her son Gary Tufano and his wife Rosanna of Old Lyme, and her son Greg Tufano of New Britain …
Calling Hours for Marlene will be held Friday, April 14, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at New Britain Memorial-Sagarino Funeral Home, 444 Farmington Ave, New Britain, Connecticut 06053. A Celebration of Life will occur Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Holy Family Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Rd, West Hartford, CT 06107 …
OLD LYME — Stephen Joseph Joncus AIA, USNR Lieutenant JG Retired, of Old Lyme, passed away at the age of 90 in the early hours of Easter Sunday (April 9) at Connecticut Hospice in Branford.
Steve was past president of the Connecticut branch of the American Institute of Architects and the Old Saybrook Rotary Club, and a former corporator of Laurence + Memorial hospital, where he spent some of his final days as a patient. He is survived by Sandra, his wife of 68 years, by two of his sisters, Barbara Sieczkowski and Susan Nichols, by his three children and their spouses – Stephen Jr. and Rose (Cleavenger) Joncus, Leslie and Nural Akchurin, and Andrew and Berta (Tucker) Joncus – and by grandchildren Peri, Larissa, Parker and his wife Brittany, Gustav, and Oliver.
Steve was born on October 14, 1932, in Newton, Massachusetts, to Joseph Joncus, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, and Margaret (Brobeil) Joncus. Originally a physics undergraduate at Cornell, Steve transferred to the College of Architecture at the end of his first year. He and Sandra, who met at Needham High School in the 1940s, were married on a college break on the day after Christmas 1954. His two years of active naval duty following graduation included listening to North Atlantic signals traffic from a secure location in lower Manhattan. In the late 1950s Steve and Sandra moved to Hartford, where they rented an apartment in Mark Twain’s former kitchen, and near the end of their two years there Steve produced a set of ‘as built’ drawings of the Mark Twain House. In 1960, with Steve employed by the Hartford firm of Jeter & Cook (now JCJ Architecture), the couple and their first two children moved to a farmhouse in rural Coventry, Connecticut.
In 1969, at the age of 37, Steve opened his own architectural practice on State Street in New London, and the following year moved his family to the Old Lyme house where he lived with Sandra until two weeks before his death. This began a commitment to New London and its surrounding area that lasted the rest of his life. Among his projects in the city of which Steve was proudest was the Starr Street Historic District, for which he was awarded the 1984 Public Places Award by The Connecticut Society of Architects. While his professional practice over the years included partnerships with Bill Hermann in Mystic and Mark Schneider in East Lyme, from the late 1980s Steve was a sole practitioner, working from an office he’d designed out of his home’s former garage.
Steve used his lively design sense to make clients’ existing spaces work better for them. He delighted in finding elegant solutions to the restrictions caused by zoning, by previous building footprint, or by access requirements. He was an early proponent of green technologies. Within the profession, he was a critic of the “style guys” – the marquee architects who dominated the glossy monthlies – but was no less opposed to those who would deny that architects are necessary to the conception and construction of buildings. He always promoted the relevance of architecture, to people’s lives and as a profession.
In retirement, Steve devoted his talents to civic, social, and religious projects. In Old Lyme, as part of the ‘Tuesday Morning Work Crew’, he designed expanded working spaces for the Old Lyme Historical Society, which included an archive-grade document storage room and a handicapped access hoist. One of his last and most satisfying projects was a church conversion to a shelter and offices for the New London Homeless Hospitality Center. Steve was for many years Treasurer of the South Lyme Union Chapel, where he and Sandra worshipped, and he devised a number of small improvements to the chapel building.
Steve’s interactions with others were characterised by a kindness, honesty, and dry wit that inspired love and loyalty among many people with whom he dealt and worked. An enthusiastic sailor, he loved living by the sea. A life-long Democrat, he was a true egalitarian who worked actively for a world where each person’s potential can be realized. A keen reader of historical works, he was fascinated by the Civil War in particular, and by the person and presidency of Abraham Lincoln, whom he admired enormously.
A memorial service for Steve will be held at the South Lyme chapel, located at 308 Mile Creek Road, at 11 am on Saturday, April 15. Those wishing to give something in his memory are invited to donate to causes that he supported: 350.org, Doctors Without Borders, and The New London Homeless Hospitality Center.
CROMWELL/OLD LYME — Larrye deBear of Cromwell, has retired for the seventh time, this time from life, on April 2, 2023. Born in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York … he had retired previously from WFSB-TV after 17 years … , from Connecticut state government after 12 years as press secretary to Governors Ella T. Grasso and William A. O’Neill … and as a realtor in Old Lyme and Greater Hartford.
While a resident of Old Lyme, he served for six years as chairman of the town’s Economic Development Commission …
He is survived by four children … He was pre-deceased by his stepdaughter …
He will be laid to rest privately beside Carol … Please celebrate Larrye and his amazing life as you see fit.
OLD LYME — Constance L. “Connie” Gray (Leighton), 83, of Old Lyme, passed away peacefully at home April 1, 2023 …
Connie was preceded in death by her husband, Fenton Paul Gray, 1971. She is survived by her devoted children, Fenton Paul Gray (Wellesley/Nantucket, Mass.) and Stephen James Gray (Middletown); siblings, Joan Leighton (Melrose, Mass.) and George Leighton (Old Lyme) …
Soon after marrying her beloved husband in 1961, she settled in Old Lyme. Here she raised her family and lived for the past 60 years. Her love for Old Lyme Shores Beach was reflected in her 35 years of service as Beach Association secretary and 25 years as the Association rental agent …
Her selfless nature led her to volunteer with numerous organizations, including the Christ the King Church Prayer Line …
A calling hour will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, April 10, at Christ the King Church, 1 McCurdy Road, Old Lyme. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at Christ the King Church at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme … In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Connie’s memory to Christ the King Church in Old Lyme …
Winifred M. Leary, 87, passed away peacefully on April 1, 2023. Born on April 5, 1935, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she was the only child of Margaret (Collins) and Martin Murray. She was the beloved wife of Richard “Dick” Leary. They would have celebrated their 65th anniversary in June.
Winnie’s grace and kindness was evident in everything that she did. Making sure she raised independent, caring and kind people was her number one priority. Winnie extended this care to the wider community through her commitment to volunteerism and leading by example. She had a way of making every person feel appreciated and loved. We will greatly miss her eloquence and wit.
Besides her husband, Dick, she is survived by her 8 children: Kathy Gentilozzi (Mark), Stephen Leary (Mary), Mark Leary, Marty Braun (Peter), Martha Quaratella (Joe), Susan Beaudoin (Rich), Dennis Leary (Kristin) and Jennifer Kelley (Mike).
Winnie was blessed to have 30 grandchildren: Kristina, Andrew, Kati, Sara, Michael, Courtney, Paul, Jack, Nick, Haley, Erin, Sam, Cooper, Catie, Lauren, Jake, Elizabeth, Nathan, Austin, Benjamin, Clayton, Dylan, Hannah, Grace, Luke, Rose, Eli, Kaleigh, Sydney, Colleen, Liam and one great grandchild, Wellie.
Winnie grew up in New Bedford and graduated from Bridgewater State Teachers College in 1956. She taught school for 2 years before meeting the love of her life, Dick. They were married and began their family in Waterbury, CT and then moved to Meriden, Connecticut where they lived for almost 50 years. She was a self-described “homemaker” and “Mommy” for 15 years. Over the next 26 years she held various roles in banking before becoming a financial advisor. Winnie and Dick were devoted parishioners at St. Joseph’s Church. They were awarded the St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation in recognition of their service to the Hartford Archdiocese and community. Winnie was a board member of The Meriden United Way, American Association of University Women and St. Joseph’s School. She also volunteered at the Franciscan Life Center, Curtis Home.
Winnie was always up for an adventure, enjoying travel both abroad and across the US visiting her large family. Her favorite thing to do was anything with her favorite guy.
We would like to thank three very special people, Terry Ann, Sue and James, who supported Winnie and her family.
Her family will receive relatives and friends (TODAY) Tuesday, April 4th from 5 to 7 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish, St. Joseph Church, 177 West Main Street, Meriden, CT 06451. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, April 5th at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Church. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist 269 Finch Avenue Meriden, CT 06451
For online condolences, please visit jferryfh.com.
