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William Bolling, 85, retired merchant
William W. Bolling of Seal Beach, Calif., a former Ridgefielder who operated stores here and who was an expert golfer, died Friday, July 25. He was 85 years old.
Mr. Bolling was born Nov. 7, 1917 in Winston Salem, N.C., and served in the European Theatre with the U.S. Army in World War II.
Upon returning home Mr. Bolling began working for Gristedes Brothers grocery in Port Chester, N.Y. He moved to Ridgefield in 1948 to manage the Gristedes store on Main Street.
After the grocery store closed, he managed Gristedes Liquors, before buying it in 1958 and changing the name to Bolling Liquors.
Mr. Bolling and his family lived on Main Street. He was a longtime member of the Lions Club, the American Legion and the VFW.
In 1980, after selling his liquor store to the Liberta family, Mr. Bolling retired and moved to Seal Beach. There, he was a member of the American Legion and president of the UVF Swing Club.
An avid golfer, Mr. Bolling recorded an incredible 13 holes-in-one in his lifetime.
Mr. Bolling is survived by his wife of 63 years, Naomi M. Bolling; a daughter, Patricia A. Chakar of Somerfield, Fla.; a son, William J. Bolling of Needham, Mass.; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
A graveside service took place Tuesday, Aug. 12, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Greenwich.
Douglas Callahan, enjoyed nature, music
Douglas R. Callahan of 19 Cleveland Street, Danbury, a former Ridgefielder, died on Wednesday evening, Feb. 12, at Danbury Hospital. He was 39 years old and the son of Richard W. and Nancy Wood Callahan of Southbury, formerly of Ridgefield.
Mr. Callahan was born in Newark, N.J., on June 26, 1963, and had been a resident of Ridgefield and Danbury for the past 21 years. He had previously lived in Rosemont, Pa.
"He enjoyed and appreciated nature, museums, and all types of music and had a great love of animals, particularly his Labrador retrievers," said his family. "Doug was a true friend and will be missed by all who knew and loved him."
Besides his parents, Mr. Callahan is survived by a sister, Jennifer Cuddeback of Avon; a niece, Lydia, and nephew, Sam.
Memorial services will take place Thursday, March 6, at 11 a.m. at the First Congregational Church, 103 Main Street. The family will receive friends after the service. Memorial contributions may be made to Interlude, 60 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810.
The Kane Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Jay Chananie, 79, real estate developer
Jay Chananie of Ridgefield, a shopping center developer and manager who was a pilot in World War II, died Tuesday, Aug. 12, in Danbury Hospital from injuries suffered in a May 1 auto accident in Danbury. He was 79 years old and the husband of Gloria Stansell Chananie.
Mr. Chananie was born in Flushing, Long Island, on Sept. 17, 1923, a son of Robert and Sadie Chananie. He grew up in Washington Heights, and graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx.
During World War II, he was a captain in the Army Air Force in the South Pacific, serving as a pilot of troop transports with the 375th Troop Carrier Division. Mr. Chananie piloted the first plane to leave Guam to bring American servicemen into Japan after the Japanese signed the peace accords.
After the war Mr. Chananie went into commercial real estate, developing shopping centers across the country. He was still a part owner and the manager of the Mount Kisco Square and Fishkill Plaza shopping centers in nearby New York.
Jay and Gloria Chananie met in 1951 through a mutual friend while she was a student at Juilliard School of Music. “It was love at first sight,” Mrs. Chananie said. They were married six months later, on Sept. 28, 1951.
The next year, the couple moved to Stamford where they lived for 40 years and raised their family. They came to Ridgefield nine years ago.
Mr. Chananie was a charter member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. He was very active with the senior golfers at the Ridgefield Golf Club and belonged to the Ridgefield Men’s Club.
Besides his wife, Mr. Chananie is survived by two daughters, Linda Montanaro of Weston and Lauren Tripp of Ridgefield; a son, Steven Chananie of New Rochelle, N.Y.; six grandchildren, Mark and Gregg Montanaro, Grace Tripp, and Ben, Helen and Melissa Chananie; a brother, Richard Chananie of Pennsylvania; a sister, Jane Rogavin of South Carolina; and his mother-in-law, Grace Stansell, who is 98.
The Rev. Dale Rosenberger will conduct a memorial service Thursday, Aug. 28, at 4 in the First Congregational Church.
Contributions in Mr. Chananie’s memory may be made to a charity of choice.
Francis P. Daly, former Realtor
Francis P. Daly, a former real estate agent in Ridgefield, died June 12 at Las Vegas Hospital in Nevada. He was 73 years old.
Mr. Daly was born in New York City on St. Patrick’s Day, 1930, the son of Patrick and Catherine McHugh Daly. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1972, after a career that included service with the Strategic Air Command and two tours of duty in Vietnam as a weapons crew chief for F4 Phantoms.
He lived in Ridgefield from 1976 until the early 1980s and was a real estate agent with several local firms including New England Realty, and he was a member of Ridgefield Board of Realtors. He moved to Las Vegas and worked for the U.S. Post Office until his retirement.
Mr. Daly is survived by a son, Chris and his wife Cheryl of Clovis, Calif.; a sister, Mary Browne, and her husband John, and brother Lawrence, all of Ridgefield; a brother John and his wife Dolores of Palm Bay, Fla.; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Two brothers, Matthew and Joseph, died before him.
Services were private and burial was June 17 at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.
Family request donations be made in his name to the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Buchanan Boulevard, Boulder City, NV 89005.
R. Douglas Davis, headed AARP here
R. Douglas Davis, who headed the Ridgefield chapter of AARP from 1992 to 1994, died June 18 in St. Petersburg, Fla., of natural causes following a stroke. He was 89.
An alumnus of the Class of 1941 at Brown University in Providence, R.I., Mr. Davis was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
During World War II he was a lieutenant commander aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown. After the war, he remained in the Navy and served a total of seven years active duty afloat and ashore. He then spent 11 years in the Naval Reserve.
Mr. Davis had lived in Jamaica, Wisc., and Atlanta, Ga., before coming to Ridgefield. He lived on Abbott Avenue, and in the mid-1990s moved to Florida.
He is survived by his friend, Harolene Pitts of St. Petersburg; a daughter, Penny Gottlieb of Cos Cob; two sons, Hamilton Davis of Keswick, Va., and Douglas Davis of Tujunga, Calif.; and a stepson Ken Malone of Tucker, Ga.; plus two grandchildren Robert Gottlieb of Cos Cob and Sarah Gottlieb of Middletown, R.I.
A Christian burial at sea will be performed by the United States Navy.
Ralph R. Day, 49, company executive
Ralph Roscoe Day of Ridgefield, a corporate director of strategic planning, died Thursday, July 24. He was 49 years old and the husband of Robin Kelly Day.
Mr. Day was born on April 9, 1954 in Wakefield, Mass., the son of Florence Stinchfield Day and the late Russell R. Day. He grew up in Westbrook, Maine, where he was an Eagle Scout and was valedictorian of the Westbrook High School class of 1972.
He continued his education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., graduating in 1976 with a degree in chemical engineering.
After a year of work at Uniroyal in Naugatuck, he attended Wharton Business School in Philadelphia, Pa., graduating with an M.B.A. In 1979 he was employed by American Cyanamid International in New Jersey, holding many managerial titles such as planning manager, assistant marketing manager and product manager. He was also business development and marketing manager in Cyanamid Far East in Hong Kong where he lived for two years and was responsible for chemical business in China as well as managing specialty chemical business in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Bermuda.
In 1991 Mr. Day joined Allied Signal as a market and development manager and held such titles as director of business development and director of new business ventures. He participated in acquisition and reorganizations of the company as well as managing new product introduction programs.
In 1998 he began working as director of strategic planning for Witco Corporation, now known as Crompton Corp, where he led the company in reorganizing and development with responsibility for multi-million dollar growth plans.
Besides his wife of 18 years and his mother, Mr. Day is survived by a daughter, Meredith Day of Ridgefield; a brother, Gabriel Day of Rio Del Mar, Calif.; three sisters, Katie Day of Phuket, Thailand, Peggy Day of Gray, Me., and Martha Day of Westbrook, Me.
A memorial service for Mr. Day was held on Monday at United Church of Christ in Southbury.
Burial will be held privately in Maine at the convenience of the family.
Memorial contributions can be made to R.O.A.R. Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 43, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
The Southbury Funeral Home of Munson-Lovetere was in charge of arrangements.
Viola Devendorf, 85, was Realtor here
Viola E. Butler Devendorf of Yarmouthport, Mass., a former Ridgefielder, died Sunday, July 13, at Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, Mass. She was 85 years old and the wife of the late George H. Devendorf.
Mrs. Devendorf was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. She graduated from Bushwick High School, Class of 1935.
After high school she moved to Connecticut where she worked as an executive secretary, office manager and Realtor.
Mrs. Devendorf served on the Board of Realtors in Danbury and New Milford and was a board member of the Visiting Nurse Association, Business and Professional Women’s Club, Laurel Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, and Community Development Plan Committee.
She earned her G.R.I. real estate designation from the University of Hartford.
The Devendorfs lived on Silver Spring Road in the 1950s and 1960s. Mrs. Devendorf moved to Yarmouthport with her husband after retiring in 1982. She was an avid gardener and home decorator and including among her accomplishments the renovation of two Connecticut farmhouses.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, John and Carol Devendorf of Milford, Mass.; a sister, Virginia Butler of Elmira, N.Y.; two grandsons, Brian Devendorf of Lynn, Mass., and Sean Devendorf of Milford, Mass.
A graveside service was held on Wednesday, July 23, in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne, Mass.
Donations in her memory may be made to the scholarship fund of the Milford Performing Arts Center, 16 Windsor Road, Milford, MA 02675 or the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Cape Cod, 225 Independence Drive, Hyannis, MA 02601.
Thomas P. Doty, 75, Navy Seabee in World War II
Thomas Patrick Doty of Ridgefield, husband of Anne (Hughes) Doty, died Saturday, Aug. 2, at Danbury Hospital. He was 75.
A 20-year resident, Mr. Doty was born in New Haven Aug. 17, 1927, son of the late Thomas and Anna Barrett Doty.
Mr. Doty was a Navy veteran of World War II, serving in the Seabees. He was a retired milkman and maintenance engineer for Upjohn in Hamden. He was also a natural craftsman.
He was devoted to his family. When his two grandsons were young, he was a familiar sight on Main Street, pushing the boys in the stroller. Up until recently, he was frequently seen in town running errands for his son’s optometry practice.
A former sailboat aficionado, he enjoyed cruises and traveling to Florida and Las Vegas. He also enjoyed gardening at home and doing home remodeling.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two children, Lizabeth A. Doty and Dr. William T. Doty and his wife Dorothy Galligan Doty, two grandsons, Thomas Doty and Patrick Doty, all of Ridgefield.
Two sisters, Marion Ford and Helen Reynolds, died earlier.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated today at St. Mary’s Church.
Burial will take place in Beaverdale Memorial Park in Hamden.
There will be no calling hours.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ridgefield Fire Department Ambulance Fund, 6 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield 06877.
The Kane Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Henri L. Evers, 94, retired brewer, August 14, 2003
Henri L. Evers, a retired brewer who immigrated from Germany, died Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Candlewood Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center in New Milford. He was 94, the husband of Ethel Strausz Evers, and the father of Linda Caponetti of Mimosa Circle. He lived in Ridgefield for about two years near the end of his life.
Mr. Evers was born in Nancy, France, in 1909 and grew up in Germany. He came to the United States during The Great Depression. He met Ethel Strausz in the mid-1930s when both were attending night school in New York City, and they were married in 1940. He worked at a variety of jobs, including one with General Motors, before taking a position with the F.&M. Schaefer Brewing Company of Brooklyn. In a 35-year career with
Schaefer he worked his way up to a high level management position.
He lived much of his life in New York City, with 22 years in Douglas Manor, Queens, from 1950 to 1972, then retiring to Hendersonville, N.C. After nearly 30 years there he moved to Ridgefield in 1999 to be near his daughter, living first on North Street and then on Grove Street.
"He loved animals, cars and the finer things of life, a cultured European of the old school — classical music, fine food, fine wines, and a beautiful home," his daughter said. "He was a responsible family man, loved his work and adored my mother. He enjoyed playing tennis and taking daily walks. He recited German poetry and was well acquainted with the masters and classical composers. He had a joy of life and a marvelous sense of humor, which did not abandon him — even at the end."
Besides his wife and daughter, he is survived by a son-in-law, Robert Caponetti, and three grandchildren, Gary, Paul and Andrew Caponetti, all of Ridgefield.
A memorial service was held on Thursday, Aug. 21, at 1 p.m. in the First Congregational Church of Ridgefield.
