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Frances Scott, writer, volunteer
Frances Edith Scott, a former writer who was active in community work here, died Sunday, Dec. 19, 2004, at Danbury Hospital after a brief illness. She was 84 years old and had lived here for 44 years before moving to Meadow Ridge in Redding four years ago.
Mrs. Scott was born in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 25, 1920, daughter of Edith Hunter Long and Edwin Arthur Long, a United States consular official. She was educated at the Shanghai American School, Cheltenham Ladies College, England, Glendale Junior College, and the American University.
During World War II, she was briefly interned in the camp of Santo Tomas in Manila, the Philippines. During the war, she returned to New York City and wrote the 1943 book, Half A World Away, about her experiences. She also modeled and became a feature writer for the Associated Press until marrying in 1946.
Mrs. Scott came to Ridgefield in 1956 with her husband, Charles Frederick Scott, and her two children, the late Charles Frederick Scott Jr. and Patricia Scott Cole. Mr. Scott died in 1989.
While in Ridgefield, Mrs. Scott was a member of St. Stephen’s Church, the Ridgefield Garden Club, and the Silver Spring Country Club. She was active in working to preserve open space and was a member of the Land Conservancy of Ridgefield. She also worked for the preservation of historic structures of Ridgefield, such as the Keeler Tavern. She also volunteered on behalf of the Veterans Park School and the Ridgefield Library.
Mrs. Scott enjoyed swimming, walking, bridge and gardening, and was active in a local investments club.
Mrs. Scott is survived by a daughter, Patricia Scott Cole of Great Falls, Va., and two grandchildren, Charles Kenneth Scott Cole and Claire Patricia Cole.
The Rev. Dr. Aaron Manderbach, rector emeritus of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, will lead a memorial service on Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 11 a.m. in St. Stephen’s Church.
Contributions in her memory may be sent to the Visiting Nurse Association of Ridgefield, 90 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
Rupert Vreugde, aerospace engineer
Rupert “Dutch” Vreugde, an engineer who managed spacecraft systems development and who as a boy spied on the Nazis, died Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004, in Ridgefield. He was 76 years old and the husband of Nancy Ring Vreugde.
Mr. Vreugde was born on June 8, 1928, in Long Beach, Calif., a son of Ludwig Marinus Vreugde and Esther Ofstad Vreugde. His mother was American and his father a native of the Netherlands who worked as a geophysicist for Shell. When Rupert was two, his family moved to Java in the Dutch East Indies, and three years later to The Hague, Holland.
Mr. Vreugde grew up during the German occupation of The Netherlands. As a boy, he would quietly observe German troop movements and report the details to the Dutch underground. On several occasions, he had to be hidden from Germans soldiers who were rounding up Dutch boys to work in labor camps.
When he was 17 and the war had ended, Mr. Vreugde and his family returned to the United States. He attended California Institute of Technology, where he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He earned his master’s degree at Stanford.
While he was at Cal Tech, his family lived in Houston, Texas. It was there that he met Nancy Ring, a student at Rice who was a friend of his sister. The two were married on June 9, 1952, and had been together for 52 years.
For many years, Mr. Vreugde worked for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale, Calif., where he managed designs for the development of systems for major spacecraft. In 1979, he joined the Perkin-Elmer Corp., based in Norwalk, and was an associate director of space station programs. Since the early 1990s he has been associated with Hoffmann & Feige Inc., a consulting metallurgical firm in Brewster, N.Y.
The Vreugde family moved here in 1980. Over the years, Mr. Vreugde volunteered at St. Stephen’s Church in such capacities as usher and a worker at the annual Nutmeg Festival. He was a member of the Ridgefield Men’s Club.
“He was an avid gardener,” said Nancy Vreugde, adding that he was especially fond of deciduous azaleas. “He had many hobbies,” she said, including photography, stamp collecting, skiing, electronics, and carpentry Ñ “he could fix anything.”
“He was a man of great intellectual curiosity and was always fascinated with history, archaeology, languages, and all natural phenomena Ñ from deep space to the tiniest wildflower,” she added.
Besides his wife, Mr. Vreugde is survived by three sons, Robert Hendrik Vreugde and William Ring Vreugde of Houston, Texas, and John Rupert Vreugde of Boulder Creek, Calif.; a daughter, Mary Vreugde McCracken of Selah, Wash.; seven grandchildren: Sarah, Jesse, Joy, Jacob, Sean, Molly and Kate McCracken; and a brother, John Frederick Vreugde of Houston, Texas.
The Rev. Lois Keen will lead a memorial service on Tuesday, Dec. 21, at 1 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.
Friends may call at Kane Funeral Home Monday, Dec. 20, from 3 to 7.
Contributions in his memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice or to Yakima Valley Young Lives, 231 Tibbling Road, Selah, WA 98942.
Lisa Ann Cataldo, 39, active volunteer
Lisa Ann Cataldo of Ridgefield, who was active in church and school programs, died Saturday, Dec. 25, 2004, at Danbury Hospital. She was 39 years old, the wife of Tony Cataldo, and the mother of Anthony and Alyssa Cataldo.
Ms. Cataldo was born on Oct. 6, 1965, in Pelham, N.Y., a daughter of Anne and Vincent Saporito of Thornwood, N.Y. She was a graduate of Maria Regina High School and Iona College, after which she worked for 7-Up Bottling Company and Pepsico.
Ms. Cataldo had later worked for Expert Access and ran her own business, Stuffed with Fun.
She was an active participant in Girl Scout Brownie Troop 842, was a parishioner and catechist of St. Mary’s Church, and involved in Scotland Elementary School, which her children attend.
“Lisa touched many lives and was a very good friend to all she met,” her family said. “After passing the first five minutes with her, you were her friend forever. She loved doing things for others and seemed to thrive on it, whether it was making dinners, watching a child, volunteering for school and other functions. Her passion for her family was a reflection of her upbringing and she was our angel here on earth.”
Besides her husband, children, and parents, Ms. Cataldo is survived by three sisters and a brother: Diane Zeoli, Nancy Colon, both of Pleasantville, N.Y., Lucille Murray, of Armonk, N.Y., and Vincent Saporito, of Ridgefield, and their children.
Services will take place today, Thursday, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church.
Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Maryknoll Sisters and mailed to: L. Murray c/o PO Box 206, Valhalla, NY 10595, Attn: Treasurer. Please include in the memo, for the work of Sister Marion Hughes in Tanzania, Africa, in memory of Lisa Ann Cataldo.
Hawthorne Funeral Home in Hawthorne, N.Y., is in charge of arrangements.
James Allen Ford, food broker
James “Jim” Allen Ford of Pawleys Plantation, S.C., a former Ridgefielder, died Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004 at Georgetown Memorial Hospital. He was 72 years old.
Born March 24, 1932 in Denver, Colo., Mr. Ford was the son of the late Wallace and Hazel Ford. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, serving as second lieutenant, and had received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Denver.
Mr. Ford retired in 1994 from Eurpac Services, a military food broker in Irving, Texas. The family lived on Webster Road from 1976 to 1987.
He was a member of Pawleys Plantation Men’s Golf Association, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and of the Episcopal faith.
Mr. Ford was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia.
Surviving are his wife, Jerry Bunting Gainor Ford; sons Mark Ford of Kansas City, Mo. and Michael Ford of Virginia Beach, Va.; a daughter, Lisa Vogel of Arden, N.C.; a stepson, Sandy Bunting of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and five grandchildren.
Memorial services were held on Dec. 11 at Pawleys Plantation Clubhouse.
Memorials may be made to American Heart Association, Memorial Center, P.O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, Va. 23058 or Georgetown Memorial Hospital, Black River Road, Georgetown, S.C. 29440.
Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Edwin Heckel, electronics technician
Edwin L. Heckel of Ridgefield, a retired electronics technician, died at his home on Sunday morning, Nov. 7, 2004. He was 86 years old and the husband of Jean Brown Heckel.
Mr. Heckel was born in Stamford on May 1, 1918, a son of Edwin and Edith Lawson Heckel. He attended Stamford schools and graduated from the Connecticut Technical School of Stamford. He was a World War II U.S. Army veteran.
Mr. Heckel was a retired electronics technician and had worked for Machlett Laboratories in the Springdale section of Stamford.
He moved from Stamford to Ridgefield in 1956 and enjoyed fishing, electronic and mechanical challenges, and “was a real do-it-yourself person,” his family said.
Besides his wife, Mr. Heckel is survived by a daughter, Edith E. Koren of Danbury; two nieces, Leah Riffe and Sharon Riffe; two grandnephews and a grandniece.
Chaplain Kendall Palladino conducted services Wednesday in the Kane Funeral Home.
Burial was in Fairfield Memorial Park Cemetery, Stamford.
Delores Martin, 69, waitress here
Delores Hayward Martin of Danbury, a former Ridgefielder who had been a well-known waitress at several restaurants, died peacefully in her sleep at her home on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004. She was 69 years old and the wife of David L. Martin.
Mrs. Martin was born in Orange, N.J., on Oct. 1, 1935, daughter of William “Jack” and Rachel Brown Hayward. She grew up in Stamford and attended schools there.
Mrs. Martin had lived on Aspen Ledges Road in Ridgefield from 1966 until moving to Danbury in 1999.
She had worked for many years as a waitress in several area restaurants, including King Neptune, Ridgefield Pizza, and Georgetown Pizza.
Besides her husband of 45 years, Mrs. Martin is survived by a son, Randall D. Martin, and his wife, Kimberly, of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.; two daughters, Candace Cook and her husband, John, of Goose Greek, S.C., and Cynthia Jean Martin of Danbury; a brother, John Hayward of Harwinton; a sister, Gloria Chamulak of Fort Myers, Fla.; and four grandchildren, Lana Cook, Johnny Cook, Kenna Martin and Cole Martin.
Private funeral services will take place at the convenience of the family.
There will be no calling hours.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Salvation Army, 15 Foster Street, Danbury, CT 06810, or to Ability Beyond Disability (Datahr), 135 Old State Road, Brookfield, CT 06804.
The Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home, 9-11 Granville Avenue, Danbury is in charge of arrangements.
Tina Roberti Morazzini, 87, Ridgefield native
Tina T. Roberti Morazzini, 87, of Ashland, Mass., a Ridgefield native, died Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004, at Bethany Healthcare Center in Framingham. She was 87 years old and the widow of George Morazzini, who died in 1980.
Born in Ridgefield on July 4, 1917, she was the daughter of the late Pompeo and Julia Castelle Roberti. She had moved to Ashland in the 1930s, shortly after her marriage.
As a young woman, she had worked in the Baker Nail Factory in Framingham.
“She enjoyed her family and friends and was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend,” her family said.
She was a member of St. Cecilia’s Church in Ashland and a member of the Ladies Auxiliary.
Mrs. Morazzini is survived by a son, Richard Morazzini and his wife, Jeannette, of Ashland; a daughter, Delores Masionis and her husband, William of Hopkinton, Mass.; a sister, Irma Roberti of Ridgefield; a brother-in-law, Paul Morazzini and his wife, Alice, of Sacramento, Calif.; six grandchildren 17 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was the sister of the late Valtiero Roberti.
A funeral Mass was held on Dec. 20 in St. Cecilia’s Church in Ashland. Burial followed in Wildwood Cemetery in Ashland.
Maura Reynolds, active at St. Mary’s
Maura Sullivan Reynolds of DeLand, Fla., a former Ridgefielder who was active in St. Mary’s Parish and the Diocese of Bridgeport, died on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004, at Florida Hospital in DeLand. She was 84 years old and the wife of Edward Beattie Reynolds.
Mrs. Reynolds was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., a daughter of the late Cornelius J. Sullivan and Elizabeth Gillern Sullivan. She was a graduate of the Ursuline School in New Rochelle, and a 1942 graduate of Wells College.
The Reynolds family came to Ridgefield in 1969, living at first on Circle Drive and later on South Shore Drive. In 1984, the couple moved to Southbury, in 1990 to South Carolina and, four years ago, to DeLand.
Mrs. Reynolds had worked in religious education at St. Mary’s Church in Ridgefield for 10 years. She served as director of religious education and was also on the Diocesan Board of Laity Directors.
Since living in DeLand, Mrs. Reynolds had been a communicant of St. Peter’s Church, where she served as a eucharistic minister. She was a volunteer with Hospice of Volusia-Flagler County.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Reynolds is survived by her nine children, Susan Baime of Virginia, Cornelia Reynolds of California, Sherry Reynolds of Pennsylvania, Maureen Reynolds of Florida, Elizabeth McGrath of Connecticut, Brian Reynolds of Kentucky, Gregory Reynolds of Virginia, Sharon Foley of Virginia, and Elaine Richardson of Connecticut. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren and a sister, Nancy Sullivan Murray of New York. She was predeceased by three brothers and one sister.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, Dec. 20, in St. Peter’s Church, DeLand. Interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Ridgefield, will be at the convenience of the family.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Hospice of Volusia-Flagler County, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange, FL 32129.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Lankford Funeral Home, DeLand.
