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John E. Whitley
SOUTHINGTON -- John Ellsworth Whitley, 83, of 500 Pleasant St., died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002 at Bradley Memorial Hospital. He was the husband of the late Marie Pauline (Duquette) Whitley.
John was born on Jan. 22, 1919 in Scotch Plains, N.J., and was the son of the late Gerald and Ida Mae (Steinacker) Whitley. He served in the U.S. Army and achieved the rank of Sergeant fighting in the European Theater of Operations. He received the E.A.M.E. Campaign Ribbon and the Good Conduct Ribbon. He had been employed at Cooper Industries prior to his retirement.
John is survived by his sister, Lillian Powers of Joplin, Mo.; along with several nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be held on Friday, Oct. 4, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Cemetery
on Meriden Ave., in Southington. There are no calling hours. The DellaVecchia Funeral Home 211 N. Main St., Southington are in charge of arrangements.
Martin E. Wilson Jr.
MERIDEN -- Martin E. Wilson Jr., 16, of 161 Baldwin St., son of Martin E. Wilson Sr. and Glynnis Simmons died on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2002 at Hartford Hospital in the Neurological ICU.
Born in Hartford on April 17, 1986, he resided in Meriden and was a sophomore at Platt High School, where he excelled as a student. In addition to being an accomplished boxer and No. 2 nationally-ranked amateur, he had a black belt in Karate. He was a member of the National Police Athletic Champions, a 5-time State Champion, a Northeast Regional Junior Olympic Champion, and attended the National Junior Olympic Training Program in Marguerite, Michigan. Marty was a well-liked, funny, and respectful young man with a big heart. He was a loyal friend, loving son, grandson, cousin and nephew, and a peacemaker and hero to all.
Besides his parents, Martin and Glynnis, he is survived by his maternal grandmother, Catherine Simmons; his paternal grandparents, Edward and Charla Wilson of Meriden; his great-grandmother, Gladys Miller of Meriden; one sister, Randi Wilson; two brothers, Jeramie and David Wilson; uncles and aunts, Mike and Joann Wilson, Jeffrey Wilson, Allison Wilson, Roberta Nickerson and Robert Simmons Jr. of San Diego, Calif.; and cousins, Michael Wilson Jr., Alex Wilson, Jessica Wilson, Ricky Wilson, Madison Wilson, Jeffrey Wilson Jr., Jennifer Nickerson, Alida Conley and Samantha Conley.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend a funeral service to be held Saturday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. in the First Baptist Church, 460 Broad St., Meriden with Pastor Will Marotti officiating. Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family. Friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden on Friday from 3 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Marty Wilson Memorial Beat the Streets Foundation, 100 Round Hill Road, Cheshire, CT 06410.
Lillian E. Wright
CHICAGO, Ill -- Lillian E. Wright, passed away peacefully with her son, Don at her side, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2002. She was the beloved wife of Raymond S. Wright.
Born Lillian E. Steudtner in Meriden, July 5, 1909, she became a well-known basketball player during her days at Meriden High School. After graduation in 1927, she was offered college tuition to become a physical education teacher by her gym teacher, Jessie Doyle, who saw in her terrific potential. Because her father had died in the flu epidemic of 1922 and the family was in need of financial help to survive, she instead went to work as a secretary at Aetna Life & Casualty Company in Hartford. In 1927, she joined the legendary Aetna Life Girls Basketball team affectionately know to the fans as "The Hotsy Totsy Girls," coached by Adrian J. "Ajax" Brennan, a legendary coach in his own right. During the years from 1927 until 1933, she gained fame on the East Coast and was regularly written about in the Hartford Courant and the Meriden Daily Times. In addition to playing in Hartford, Miss Steudtner and the team played in Toronto and Madison Square Garden where she played against the legendary female athlete, Mildred (Babe) Didrikson. As late as 2000, the Meriden Record-Journal was still writing articles about the team and Miss Steudtner. Her picture, along with the team, is in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. An all around athlete, she also won trophies in both tennis and golf.
She married her husband, Raymond S. Wright, whom she met at Aetna Life & Casualty, on June 26, 1933. That same year, they moved to Evanston, ending her spectacular career in Basketball. In 1936, they built their home in Park Ridge where she lived until 1993, when she sold her home and moved to the Heritage in Des Plaines. In 1946, they began a national specialty insurance agency specializing in contact lens and ophthalmic malpractice insurance. She worked with him in the business until his sudden death in Aug. of 1978. Additionally, she was active for many years on the altar guild of her parish, in volunteer work, and most importantly, as a homemaker and mother of her two children, Don and Diane. She was loyal, faithful and dedicated to a fault. She was wonderful to her family and friends, never too busy to help out and support them whatever the need might be. She was, in every sense of the word, a truly grand lady of the old school, an inspiration to all those whom she met. In recent years, she divided her time between her home in Des Plaines and her home in Hillsboro Beach, Fla.
She is survived by a son, Donald (Lisa); a daughter, Diane; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a host of friends.
Her body will lie in state at The Parish Church of St. Richard of Chichester, 5101 W. Devon Ave., Chicago from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday . A Solemn high Mass of the Resurrection will follow at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the St. Richard Processional Cross Fund or to a favorite charity.
Florence R. Ezyk
MERIDEN -- Florence Rose Ezyk, 90, a lifelong resident of Meriden died on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002 at Meriden Center.
Born in Meriden on Jan. 7, 1912, the daughter of the late Martin and Rosalie Ezyk, she had graduated from Meriden schools, and was employed by the Record-Journal until her retirement. Miss Ezyk was a parishioner of St. Rose of Lima Church.
She was predeceased by two sisters, Betty Gold and Shirley Ezyk; and one brother, Edward Ezyk.
The funeral and burial will be private and held at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in St. Stanislaus Cemetery. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to a charity of one's choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden.
Janet S. Morris
OAKDALE -- Janet S. (Latham) Morris, 67, died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002 at the WW Backus Hospital.
She was born July 11, 1935 in Lyme, the daughter of the late George D. and Helen (Bump) Latham. She graduate from Lyme High School, June 14, 1953 and was formerly married to Sebastian F. Tuccitto Sr. in 1954.
She is survived by her six children, Kathleen Fletcher, Sebastian F. Tuccitto Jr., Thomas Tuccitto Sr., Michael Tuccitto Sr., Karen Tuccitto and Kristine Lewis; 12 grandchildren; one-great-grandchild, Andrew; she also leaves one brother, George Latham; one sister, Barbara Hull; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will l be held at a later date. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. Donations in Janet Morris's memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 238 W. Town St., Norwich, CT 06360. The Montville Funeral Home of Church and Allen, Rte 32, Montville is in charge of arrangements.
Helen T. O'Reilly
WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- Helen T. O'Reilly, 93, of Wakefield, died on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2002 at the Sunbridge Care and Rehabilitation in North Reading. She was the wife of the late Thomas G. O'Reilly.
Born in West Bridgewater on April 5, 1909, she was the daughter of the late John H. and Florence (Hugis) Toomey. Mrs. O'Reilly was a graduate of West Bridgewater High School and Bridgewater Teachers College, and went on to receive her Master's degree in education from Boston State College. She was a retired elementary school teacher for the Randolph public school system and was a member of the Most Blessed Sacrament parish in Wakefield. A member of the National Education Association, she was also a member of the Bridgewater State College Alumni. Mrs. O'Reilly had lived in Connecticut prior to coming to Wakefield.
She is survived by her children, Patricia A. Kennedy of Meriden, Thomas G. O'Reilly of Ormond Beach, Fla., Mary O. McManus of Wakefield, Mass., and James F. O'Reilly of Cataumet, Mass.; she is also survived by 17 grandchildren; and 27 great-grandchildren.
Her funeral will be held from the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield, Mass., on Monday, Oct. 7, at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral Mass in the Most Blessed Sacrament Church, Greenwood, Mass., at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery
in Brockton, Mass. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn 38105.
Mary S. Pellerin
MERIDEN -- Mary S. Pellerin, 82, formerly of 37 Carey Ave., wife of the late Samuel Pellerin, died Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002 at Coccomo Memorial Health Care.
Born in Meriden on Dec. 1, 1919, the daughter of the late Joseph and Stacia Dziezowski, she was a lifelong Meriden resident. Mrs. Pellerin graduated from St. Stanislaus School and attended Meriden High School. She was a parishioner of St. Joseph Church.
She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, June and Robert Vumback and a son, John Canfield Jr., all of Meriden; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Jeanette Dziezowski of Meriden; and four nieces. She was predeceased by a daughter, Jacqueline Krizanek; her first husband, John Canfield; one sister; and two brothers.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend a Mass of Christian burial on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to St. Joseph Church, 22 Goodwill Ave., Meriden, CT 06451 or to the Meriden Humane Society, 540 Oregon Road, Meriden, CT 06451. The family would like to thank the staff at Coccomo Memorial for the heartfelt love and care shown to Mary during her stay. Arrangements are under the direction of the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden.
Earle C. Fowler Jr.
NEW HAVEN -- Earle C. Fowler, Jr., 71, of 18 Tower Lane, died Friday, Oct. 4, 2002, at the West Haven VA Hospital.
He was born in New Haven, Aug. 26, 1931, a son of the late Earle C. and Alphild Berndtson Fowler Sr. He was a veteran of Korea, serving in the U.S. Army. He had been employed in sales for most of his life. He was a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in New Haven.
He is survived by two sons, Craig Fowler and his wife, Elizabeth of McKinney, Texas and Earle C. Fowler and his wife, Patricia of Cleveland, Ohio; three daughters, Sherry Perkowski and her husband, John of Wallingford, Marcia Moskal-Mullins and her husband, Michael of New Buffalo, Mich., and Brenda Lyons and her husband, Matthew of Woodland, N.J.; a sister, Evonne Fowler of Southbury; five grandchildren, Heather Prokup, Kelly Perkowski, Megan Perkowski, Peter Fowler and Jordan Fowler.
A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 10 a.m. in the chapel of the B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, 273 South Elm St., Wallingford. Burial with military honors will be at Old Center Cemetery, North Haven. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday, Oct 7, from 6 to 8 p.m.. If friends so desire, gifts in his memory may be made to Tower 1, 17 Tower Lane, New Haven 06519.
Virginia A. Hall
POULTNEY, Vt. -- Virginia A. Hall passed away on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002.
Mrs. Hall was born March 13, 1916, in Des Moines, Iowa, daughter of the late Dexter C. and Dulcia (Tyrrell) Van Ostrand. She was a graduate of Amasa (Michigan) High School, Milwaukee Downer and the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. She taught high school biology and physical education, and coached both girls' and boys' sports teams. An accomplished athlete, she played many sports, including professional basketball. She was also an equestrienne. During World War II, Mrs. Hall was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. While in the service she met and married Dr. William E. Hall. At the end of the war, they returned to his hometown of Meriden. Mrs. Hall was active with the Meriden Girls Club, the Charity Club and the Visiting Nurses Association, and was a Cub Scout and Girl Scout leader. She was a lifelong member of the D.A.R. and a member of the First Congregational Church. Mrs. Hall lived in Meriden for 50 years moving to Poultney, Vt., after Dr. Hall's death.
Mrs. Hall is survived by a sister, Del Mercer of Hamden; a son, William Hall and his wife, Judith of Branford; a daughter Wheatley Bergen and her husband, Terry of Poultney, Vt.; three grandchildren, Rebecca and Deborah Hall and William Bergen; also a niece; and good friends. She was predeceased by her husband; a sister, Amorette Van Orstrand.
A memorial service will be held in Connecticut at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, P.O. Box 787, Rutland, CT 05702 or to the Poultney Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 76, Poultney, Vt 05764. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Roberts-Aubin Funeral Home, Poultney, Vt.
