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Sally Sappern,
a Stamford resident, died Monday, Feb. 5, 2001 at Stamford Hospital. She was 93.
She died of natural causes, according to her family.
Born July 3, 1907, in Port Chester, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Simon and Yetta Levinson.
Mrs. Sappern is survived by a son, Donald Sappern of Westport; three grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband, William Sappern; and a son, Yale Sappern.
There are no calling hours.
A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. today, Feb. 7, 2001 at Independent Lodge Cemetery, Hoyt Street, Darien.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Yale Sappern Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Attorney Nathan Silverstein, 234 Church St., New Haven, CT 06510.
Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer St., Stamford, is handling arrangements.
Henry K. Clem
Henry K. Clem, a longtime Norwalk resident, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2001 at home. He was 92.
Elaine B. Sullivan
Elaine B. Sullivan, a longtime Norwalk resident and former Westport resident, died Monday, Feb. 5, 2001 at Norwalk Hospital. She was 52.
Dale Evans
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Dale Evans, the singer-actress who teamed with husband Roy Rogers in popular Westerns and wrote their theme song, "Happy Trails to You," died yesterday at 88.
Evans died of congestive heart failure at her home in Apple Valley in the high desert east of Los Angeles, said Dave Koch, son-in-law of Evans' stepson, Roy "Dusty" Rogers Jr. She had suffered a heart attack in 1992 and a stroke in 1996.
Evans' son and other family members were at her side. A memorial service will be held Saturday.
Evans was the "Queen of the West" but to Rogers, the "King of the Cowboys." She rode her horse, Buttermilk, beside him on his celebrated palomino, Trigger.
"There's the last of the great ladies from a great era - the cowboy era," said Fran Boyd, executive director of the Academy of Country Music. "She was always really gracious and a very big supporter of her husband."
The first movie Evans made with Rogers, an established singing cowboy star, was "Cowboy and the Senorita" in 1944. They married in 1947, and together appeared in 35 movies, including such Saturday afternoon favorites as "My Pal Trigger," "Apache Rose" and "Don't Fence Me In."
When the B Western gendre faded in the early 1950s, the Rogers began their television career. "The Roy Rogers Show" ran from 1951 to 1957. Later incarnations included "The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show," 1962, and "Happy Trails Theatre," 1986-89, a show of repackaged Rogers and Evans movies on cable TV's Nashville Network.
Evans wrote "Happy Trails," which became their theme song in 1951. She also wrote the 1955 gospel music standard "The Bible Tells Me So," with the refrain, "how do I know? the Bible tells me so." Together, Evans and Rogers recorded more than 400 songs. Their most recent album was "Many Happy Trails," recorded in Nashville in 1985.
When Rogers died in July 1998 at age 86, Evans remembered him as "a wonderful human being. What a blessing to have shared my life together with him for almost 51 years. To say I will miss him is a gross understatement. He was truly the king of the cowboys in my life."
Throughout her life, Evans was active in Christian evangelism, which she called "the most meaningful, the most enjoyable part of my life."
"She was one Hollywood personality who truly lived what she preached," said longtime friend Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood. "She was a strong supporter of the family and religion."
A prolific writer, Evans wrote more than 20 books, including the best-selling "Angel Unaware," a poignant account of their daughter, Robin, the only child born to the couple. Robin, who had Down syndrome, died of complications from the mumps shortly before her second birthday in 1952. A tragedy followed by the subsequent death of their Korean-born adopted daughter Debbie, killed in a 1964 church bus crash; and death the following year of their adopted son John who choked to death while serving in the Army in Germany.
Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on Oct. 31, 1912, in Uvalde, Texas . When she was a girl her family moved to Osceola, Ark., where she attended high school.
She worked as a secretary in Chicago while trying to launch a show business career, she recalled in the 1984 interview.
"I wanted to get a foothold in radio, but I couldn't get a job," she said. "Finally I succeeded in Memphis, then I got jobs in Louisville and Dallas before going back to Chicago."
She became Dale Evans during her brief stint in Tennessee. Initially, she used her married name, Frances Fox, and then Marian Lee. But over her protests, the station manager changed it to Dale Evans, because he felt it was "euphonious" and would roll easily from the lips of announcers.
From local radio singing jobs, she worked up to national radio, signing on in 1940 as a singer on a weekly CBS radio show "News and Rhythm." Shortly afterward, she got work in Hollywood, appearing in films such as "Orchestra Wives" and "Swing Your Partner."
Evans said she felt sorry for some of today's rock stars: "They are overnight successes making unbelievable amounts of money. They're like meteors, shooting up and then falling just as fast. People like Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Roy and me, we paid our dues. We've known the hard times and the good, and we appreciate what we've got."
Besides Roy Jr., she is survived by her son by her first marriage, Tom Fox; adopted daughter Dodie Sailors; foster daughter Marion Swift; stepdaughter Linda Lou Johnson; adopted stepdaughter Cheryl Barnett; 16 grandchildren; and more than 30 great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth Carlucci Sabia of Atlanta,
a former longtime Stamford resident, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2001 at Well Star Windy Hill Hospital in Atlanta. She was 91.
She died of natural causes, according to her family.
Born Oct. 28, 1909, in Port Chester, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Giuseppe and Angela Maria Carlucci.
She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Gail Sabia of Atlanta.
She was predeceased by her husband, Michael V. Sabia; and a son, Donald M. Sabia.
A funeral service was held Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2001 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Port Chester.
Burial was held in St. Mary's Cemetery
in Port Chester.
Gloria B. Young,
a Norwalk resident, died Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2001 at Norwalk Hospital. She was 72.
She died of cancer, according to her family.
Born Feb. 10, 1928, in Greenwich, she was a daughter of the late Thomas E. and Hilda Blue.
Mrs. Young worked as a domestic engineer for Nancy and Jeff Lund of New Canaan for 14 years before retiring.
She was a graduate of Stamford High School and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star in Norwalk.
She is survived by her husband, Robert G. Young Jr. of Norwalk; five daughters, Florence G. Rannie, Robyn G. Young, Gerral "Gigie" Young and Staci Young, all of Norwalk, and Betty Ann Caldwell of Williamston, N.C.; a sister, Hilda Saunders of Stamford; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by two brothers, Thomas Edward Blue and William "Figgie" Blue.
There are no calling hours.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2001 at Calvary Baptist Church, 21 Concord St., Norwalk.
Burial will be private.
Memorial donations may be made to Whittingham Cancer Center, Stevens Street, Norwalk, CT 06850.
Magner Funeral Home, 12 Mott Ave., Norwalk, is handling arrangements.
John Edward Alexander Kelly,
a Stamford resident, died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2001 at Tandet Center for Continuing Care in Stamford. He was 83.
He died of natural causes, according to his family.
Born March 26, 1917, in Matthews County, Va., he was a son of the late James Handy Kelly and Essie Allen Kelly.
Mr. Kelly was a member of Union Baptist Church in Stamford.
He was employed by Suburban Awning Co. for more than 25 years. He later entered into a partnership with Rye Awning Co. and became a sales representative for Port Chester Shade and Awning. He retired from Hathaway, Reiser and Raymond of Stamford.
Mr. Kelly sang for St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Greenwich and was a member of the Men's Chorus and Senior Choir of the First Baptist Church of Greenwich.
He is survived by his wife, Roxana Greene Kelly of Stamford; two sons, John Kelly Jr. of Hampton, Va., and Douglas Kelly of Seattle; a daughter, Essie Armistead of Stamford; a stepdaughter, Roxana Alexander of New Castle, Del.; a brother, Dr. Samuel Kelly of Vancouver, Wash.; 19 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Myrtle Brown Kelly; three brothers, William Kelly, James Kelly and Robert Kelly; and four sons, George Kelly, William Kelly, Dr. James Kelly and Ronald Kelly.
Calling hours will be 11 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 9, 2001 at Union Baptist Church, 805 Newfield Ave., Stamford.
A funeral service will follow at noon Friday, Feb. 9, 2001 at the church. The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Perry will officiate.
Burial will follow in Fairfield Memorial Park in Stamford.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Baptist Church Scholarship Fund, 10 Northfield St., Greenwich, CT 06830; or The Capital Stewardship Campaign of the Union Baptist Church, 805 Newfield Ave., Stamford, CT 06905.
Downer Funeral Home, 31 Stillwater Ave., Stamford, is handling arrangements.
