The death of Milton N. Allen, of Old Lyme, has been announced.  Mr. Allen passed away May 29, 2019, at Essex Meadows.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Rd., Old Lyme, CT 06371.

A full obituary will be published in the coming days.

Brain Loper

Brian David Loper, born October 9, 1955, passed away suddenly on Saturday June 15, 2019.

A native of Port Jefferson, NY, Brian attended Union College in Schenectady, NY and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.  He was also a member of the Sigma Phi Fraternity.

Brian began his professional career employed by Schlumberger on an offshore oil rig in Louisiana.  Following this, in 1980, he relocated to the area of his choice, the shores of southeastern Connecticut, being hired by Stone and Webster, stationed at Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, CT.  Later employed by Bechtel Corporation and other contractors, Brian continued at this location for 24 years, being placed in charge of major construction projects of Units 2 and 3, until 2004.

Following, employed by Manafort, he assumed responsibilities for the next three years for coordinating, and safely decommissioning, including the demolition of the containment dome, at Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Haddam, CT, a complex project that was the first of its kind to be completed.

In 2007, an employment opportunity took Brian from his home in Old Lyme, to the Carolinas.  Hired by Shaw Group Inc., Brian rose to the level of Area Project Manager of Nuclear Island, on this multi-billion dollar, VC Summer job site in Jenkinsville, SC.  Brian took great pride and satisfaction in his work, such as, overseeing the assembly of one of the world’s largest cranes–a heavy lift derrick which stood approximately 560ft. tall–that was required for this highly complex project.   Brian was recognized for his vast abilities.  He was also known and respected by those who worked for and alongside him.

Brian had an innate ability to fix or build.  Much of this, he would tell you, stemmed from working on various projects in his grandparent’s, Carroll and Helen Loper’s, basement as a boy.  His grandfather, along with his grandfather’s brothers owned and operated a well-respected lumber yard, Loper Bothers, in Port Jefferson for more than 70 years.   This history, knowledge and confidence fueled Brian, as a family man, alongside his former wife Debbie of 32 years, through the design and construction of their beautiful home in Old Lyme.  Here, their sons grew, and family gathered.  Holidays, especially Christmas and Thanksgiving, were joyously spent on Flat Rock Hill Road, with great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends and cherished pets.

Brian’s most favorite times were spent on the sidelines, proudly watching his three sons playing sports- baseball, soccer, and fencing- and also time spent with family and friends on Long Island Sound, either on the beaches or on the water, boating.  Fishing was forever a chosen pastime.  Brian also had wonderful memories of summers at West Meadow Beach on Long Island, with family at the beach cottage that was soundly built by his grandfather.  Brian was a voracious reader; a joy gifted to him by his dearly beloved grandmother.  Also being sports enthusiasts, the NY Yankees and NY Giants were always favorites for Brian and his sons Dylan, Jared and Sean.

Brian is survived by his parents, Robert and Ann Loper of Saint Petersburg, FL, his three loving sons, Dylan C. Loper of Columbia, SC, Jared C. Loper and Sean R. Loper both of Waterford, CT, his brother Barry Loper, and wife Catherine, of Saint Petersburg, FL.  Also, his wife of three years, Donna Kirkegard Loper of Columbia, SC, and his former wife Deborah M. Loper of Old Lyme, CT

The big hugs, laughter and goodness of Brian will be forever cherished by those most dear to him.

Please join us in celebrating Brian’s life, at Town Woods Fields, at the Lymes’ Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Rd, Old Lyme, CT, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 12, 2019.

Donations may be made to a charity of your choice, in Brian’s memory, with deepest thanks.

Suzanne Brown

ESSEX — Suzanne “Suzie” Brown, our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away Aug. 5, 2019, from complications after a fall in her home. She joins her beloved husband, Templeton “Temp” Brown of 58 years. We will celebrate them both by living their example of truth, love, and commitment.

Suzie celebrated beauty in life by picnicking in the countryside, arranging flowers from her garden, traveling the world, and savoring languages, cuisine, literature, colors, and the natural world. She cherished her family. We all have cultivated deep artistic roots because she showed us how to appreciate beauty in everything around us, every day of her life.

Suzie lived in Winnetka, Ill. for over three decades, and then returned to her childhood state of Connecticut to begin a new adventure with our dad, Temp, in Lyme. She had a wonderful group of friends, old and new, first from her many years in Illinois, and then more recently centered in Lyme and at the Essex Meadows Senior Retirement Community, in Essex. Suzie loved and appreciated the connections she made in Essex Meadows with her neighbors, staff, care-team, and her dear friend, Len Lonnegren.

Suzie will be remembered forever by her family, daughter Lisa Brown and her husband Mark Lellman; grandson Matt Lellman; and granddaughters, Leah Lellman (husband Josh Hisley) and Heidi Lellman (husband Jake Bonnerup); and great-grandson, Theo Bonnerup; daughter Suzanne Butz and her husband Ted Butz; grandsons Teddy Butz and Robert Butz (wife Jen Butz); and great-granddaughter, Hayden Butz; and daughter Maren Brown and her wife Patricia Morrison.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to the Lyme Land Trust, which was dear to both mom and dad’s deep appreciation of preserving nature for future generations to enjoy.

Milton Nicholas Allen  1927- 2019

Milton Nicholas Allen, born in New York City on April 15, 1927, died in Essex, Connecticut on May 29, 2019. He and his wife, to whom he was married for 35 years, had moved to Essex in 2016. They had previously lived in Old Lyme, Connecticut from 1988.

Milton attended Princeton University at the age of 17 where he was elected President of the Class of ‘48. He took a wartime leave of absence from Princeton the next year when he became old enough to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1949 with Distinction. Upon graduation he was selected to represent the United States Navy and became a Rhodes Scholar Finalist. Milton then served in active duty for the Navy as a Lieutenant and Submarine Commander until 1954 when he retired to pursue a career in business.

His civilian life began as Assistant to the President of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company in Hartford, prior to the same role for The Sherwin-Williams Company in Cleveland. He was also a Partner at Robert Heller & Associates (Management Consultants). In 1969 he started his own computer service, software and consulting business, which he led as CEO and Chairman until its sale in 1990. Manufacturing Decision Support Systems (MDSS Inc.) was the first online management information systems and services company. It served manufacturing, distribution, insurance and transportation companies across the US.

Milton was a Director of Progressive Corporation for over 20 years, as well as a Director of Day- Glo Color Corp., DeSantis Coatings Inc., Premier Electric Company, Lighting International Corp., AGA Burdox Gas Inc., Daro Industries, Actron Corp., Mueller Electric Company, and the Women’s Federal Savings Bank.

Contributing to the communities in which he lived was very important to him. In addition to his quiet philanthropy and mentoring of leaders, in Cleveland he was a Director of Laurel School, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Cleveland Institute of Music, the Center for Venture Development and Case Western Reserve University School of Management. He was also Chairman of the Goodrich-Gannett Neighborhood Center, Chairman of the Cleveland Council for Independent Schools and Chairman of the Switzer Foundation.

After moving back east, Milton was a Director and then Chairman of The Ivoryton Playhouse in Connecticut, The Putney School and Yellow Barn music school in Vermont, and Chairman of Hubbard Brook Environmental Research. He also served as a Director of the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library in Old Lyme.

In addition to his business, and various commercial and not for profit roles, for which he was known for his integrity, insight and calm leadership, Milton was committed to his family, his friends and his lifetime love of music and the water.

Milton is predeceased by his wife, Liesa Bing Allen, his older brother, Homer Nicholas Allen and his twin brother, Winston Nicholas Allen. He is survived by his younger brother Gordon Nicholas Allen of Madison, Florida, his three children from a previous marriage, Peter Milton Allen of Palo Alto, California, Thomas Hughes Allen of New York City and Jane Scarlett Allen of Sydney, Australia, as well as five grandchildren, Alexandra Elizabeth Scarlett Allen, Jonathan Thomas Allen, Olivia Sophie Allen, George Dexter Allen and Eloise Scarlett Allen-Bowton.

A Memorial Service to honor his life will be held August 24, 2019 at 2pm at The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT. All are welcome.

JOAN K. KELLEY 
1942-2019

Joan Kelley and Sophie.

Joan K. Kelley, 77, of Lyme, Connecticut passed away peacefully on July 23rd, 2019 at her home on Beaver Brook Road after an extended struggle with cancer.  She was surrounded by close friends and caregivers, and importantly, by her two beloved golden retriever companions, Mollie and Zoie, as was her wish. 

Joan was the Office Manager for the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme for the past 12 years, a position she truly loved and performed with extraordinary skill, grace, compassion and unfailing good humor  In that capacity, she was the first person that many people encountered when they walked through the church doors, or when they called on the phone. She was the very definition of the values of hospitality and grace to which the church is dedicated. But for so many who had the privilege of knowing her, she was much more than a colleague, or a welcoming presence in the office.  She was a dear friend.  Above all, Joan loved gathering with friends, being with friends, cooking for friends, and spending time with those she cared about deeply. 

And when the time came, they surrounded her bedside, and helped her to know that she wasn’t alone, that she was loved, and that she was an important part of their lives.  Joan taught all who knew her something of what it is to be a friend. 

Joan was an accomplished artist, and had a passion for gardening, knitting and quilting.  She was also a great lover of poetry, especially the poems of Mary Oliver.   A few months ago, she shared with her friends Mary Oliver’s “When Death Comes.”  Despite the title, it’s a hopeful poem, as Joan always was.  The poem will be read at her memorial service at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme on Saturday, September 7th, 2019 at 2 p.m. 

Joan is survived by her brother Peter Winkler and his wife Lee Rogers of Gilbert, Arizona.  Also by her daughter Kathryn Johnston and her husband Blake, by her son David Minns and his wife Carrie, and by five grandchildren, Liam, Katie, Hanna, Jack and Will, all of Portland, Oregon. 

Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made in her name to The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371, in care of The Minister’s Discretionary Fund. To share a memory of Joan or send a condolence to her family please visit www.rwwfh.com . Arrangements by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.

Mariette Gauvin Hogan 1926-2019

Mariette Elizabeth Hogan

Our Mom lived her 93 years of life with faith in GOD and for her loving family. She died suddenly the morning of Thursday, August 15, 2019 at home on the Feast of the Assumption. Her energy and enthusiasm never wavered.

Born in Quebec and raised in Hamden, Mariette graduated from Hamden High and worked for a New Haven Insurance company prior to meeting Army Veteran, Dan Hogan. They married on May 28, 1949 in Hamden and celebrated their 70th anniversary together this spring along with her four boys and their families.

While Mariette was a mother, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother to her family for 48 years, she was also known to hundreds of students and faculty at Assumption School in Ansonia as Mrs. Hogan, the school’s first secretary. She enjoyed life and volunteering; Assumption Church, Cub Scout Pack 19 Den mother, The Red Hat Society, Dancing lessons with Dad, Cruises to Alaska, The Caribbean and day trips.

Mom worked hard at making her home welcoming to family and friends whether creating a full Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner or just cheese and crackers. If you popped in unannounced she would be the first to offer cookies in the cookie jar.

As we begin to celebrate her long life and contributions to everyone she encountered, we know she is reunited now with her parents, Ernest and Marguerite Gauvin; brothers, Lucien and Raymond Gauvin and other loved ones.

Mariette leaves behind her beloved Dan; sons, David (Pat), Mark, John, and Kevin; grandchildren, David (Danielle), Stephen (Danielle), Shawn, Christopher, Carina, Ryan (Danielle), Meredith, Taylor, and Connor Hogan; great grandchildren; Michaela, David, Ava, Devyn, Brooklyn Hogan, and Anja Czaja; and sister, Jeannine Gauvin Saller (Bill), as well as nieces and nephews.

A Wake to celebrate Mariette’s life will take place Monday, August 19, 2019, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Wakelee Memorial Funeral Home, 167 Wakelee Avenue, Ansonia. A Mass of Christian Burial (Meeting Directly at Church) will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, 10:00 am in the Church of the Assumption, 61 North Cliff Street Ansonia. Interment will follow in All Saints Cemetery, North Haven.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Assumption School, Ansonia. Online condolences may be made at www.wakeleememorial.com.

To send flowers to the family of Mariette Hogan, please visit Tribute Store

Click to read full obituary.

Hubert William “Bill” Ryan

OLD LYME, CT / TUCSON, ARIZ. —Hubert William (“Bill”) Ryan passed away on Saturday, September 21, 2019. He was surrounded by his family, including his wife of 67 years, Emily, and his four children, Peg, Mike, Suzanne, and Pat, at his home in Tucson, Arizona.

Bill was born in New London, Connecticut to Hubert William Ryan and Marguerite Boylan Ryan in July of 1928. Bill was predeceased by his youngest sister, Mary Carlin Hall of Mystic, Connecticut and is survived by his younger sister, Sarah Mary Ryan, of New London, Connecticut. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Bill graduated from the Bulkeley School in New London in 1946. Proud to be a “Bulkeley Boy”, he faithfully attended many of the annual school reunions on the first Friday in August until his last one in 2016.

He enlisted in the Army in 1947 and served in Okinawa, Guam and Shanghai, China. In 1949 he joined the US Air National Guard where he served on bases in the US and overseas, including Alabama, Korea, Nevada, Germany, England, and Saudi Arabia. He remained in the military until 1984 when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with 38 years of service.

As a young man, he worked for the family owned Redden & Ryan Insurance Company in downtown New London for 16 years starting in 1949. Emily and Bill were married in 1952, and they raised their family in Old Lyme, Connecticut where they lived for almost 30 years. In the mid-1970s, they moved to Andrews Air Force base in Maryland and eventually retired to central Florida. There, they ran a small computer consulting business and enjoyed their world travels. After 23 years in Florida, they moved to Tucson, Arizona where they found great wine tasting friends but no tornadoes, earthquakes, or hurricanes.

In retirement, Bill and Emily traveled the world and spent many happy hours together planning each trip. They helped restore a medieval village and castle, La Sabranenque, located at Saint Victor la Coste in southern France, built a home for Habitat for Humanity on the island of Vanuatu off the east coast of Australia and helped release red foxes and black footed ferrets into the wild in Montana. They visited France, Mexico, Peru (the Amazon and Machu Pichu), Greece, Ireland, Germany, England, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Portugal, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Canada, New England, California, the San Juan Islands in Washington, Copper Canyon in Mexico, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Morocco. Sometimes, a selection of children and grandchildren were invited on these unforgettable journeys.

Our husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather leaves us a legacy of living up to our word and helping people in need. His word was his bond. If he said it, he would do it. We will always keep him in our hearts, and we will strive to live up to his example.

The late Jerome (Jerry) L. Wilson.

ESSEX — It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our beloved contributor, Jerome ‘Jerry’ L. Wilson. Mr. Wilson, 88, passed away Friday, Nov. 1, in Essex. We have not yet heard the details of services for Mr. Wilson but will publish them as soon as we receive them.

Mr. Wilson was a great supporter of our online news ventures and contributed more article and photos to ValleyNewsNow.com and LymeLine.com than we can count. Coincidentally, Mr. Wilson was room-mates at Colgate University with John ‘Jack’ Turner, who was the founder of LymeLine.com in 2003. Most of Mr. Wilson’s articles were published on ValleyNewsNow.com, which was founded by Lon Seidman in 2009. Both sites are now owned by Shoreline Web News LLC.

Mr. Wilson was passionate about the importance of local news and determined to keep it very much on the front burner.  He would pursue stories with the grit of a rookie journalist, never giving up until he had answers or comments from everyone he believed should be involved. A character in every way imaginable, Mr. Wilson had a heart of gold and we will miss him dearly.

He led a storied career as a Democratic State Senator from Manhattan, an on-air political correspondent and editor for WCBS-TV, and a lawyer. He was perhaps best known for his determined and ultimately successful efforts to change the New York state law, which required a spouse to prove adultery as the sole way to gain a divorce. New York was the only remaining state in the country with this provision when then Senator Wilson took up the issue. By the time the new law was passed in September 1967 with Sen. Wilson leading the state judicial committee that had proposed it, four additional grounds for divorce had been added.

This past Tuesday, Nov. 5, the New York Times published an article about Mr. Wilson at this link by NYT Obituaries Reporter Sam Roberts.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Mr. Wilson’s wife Ulla, his four daughters, two stepsons, six grandchildren, and four step-grandchildren.

James Marc MacDonald
September 5, 1946 – November 3, 2019

James Marc MacDonald

Marc MacDonald crossed over the bar one last time after a long battle with cancer. He was born to parents Elmer and Irene (Thorp) MacDonald in Norwell, MA, and moved to Old Lyme, CT with his family in 1962. He graduated Old Lyme High School in 1964 and the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1968.

Marc embarked on a 30 year Coast Guard career, obtaining the rank of Captain. His Coast Guard duties took him all over the world from Antarctica to the Seychelles Islands. He had extended duty stations in Hawaii, Japan and Guam. His final assignment was Captain of the Port of San Francisco, where he excelled at his primary specialty Marine Safety.

Following his retirement from the Coast Guard, he had a 13 year career as the Vice President of Safety for Pacific Maritime Association in San Francisco. He was a longtime member of the National Maritime Safety Association, serving on its Board of Directors and Technical Committee.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jean Kehoe MacDonald of Alameda CA, his two sons, Jason and his wife Melanie of Midlothian, VA, and Greg and his wife Melanie of Lincoln, CA and his three grandchildren; Ian, Paige and Michael. He is also survived by two brothers; John MacDonald of Old Lyme and Matthew MacDonald of Lyme and a sister Marsha MacDonald of The Villages, FL.

In his final years, Marc enjoyed volunteering at The Crucible, an industrial arts center in Oakland, CA. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made, in his name, to The Crucible to support their youth programs.

Marc will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date.

Barbara Woodman Wyden

Barbara Woodman Wyden, born July 1, 1922 passed away on January 4, 2020, at Davis Nursing Home, Wilmington, N.C.

Barbara graduated from Radcliff in 1941. She worked for Newsweek Magazine as editor of International News. Other newspapers that she worked for were the Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles times and then settling down to the New York Times as editor of the women’s section. Barbara was a ghost writer as well; writing all of Joyce Brothers books as well as many others. Barbara befriended Kaye Summersby, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s driver during World War II, and wrote “Past Forgetting” using much of the information from Eisenhower’s diaries. Kaye died before the book was published, so Barbara left the dairies to her brother, Richard Woodman, who contacted the Eisenhower Library and donated those pages of the diaries that she had. They are now in a section of the Library dedicated to his wartime efforts.

Barbara was preceded in death by her father, Clarence Woodman, her mother Katherine Woodman and her sister, Virginia Woodman Cordes.

No services are planned at this time.

Arrangements are being handled by Wilmington Funeral & Cremation, 1535 S. 41st Street, Wilmington NC 28403.

This photo was taken Jan. 22, 2018, on the night that the late Captain Roderick M. White was named Old Lyme’s 2017 Citizen of the Year. From left to right standing are Old Lyme Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal, Selectman Chris Kerr, Judy White, and then First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, who presented the award. Captain White, whose death was announced yesterday, is seated.

OLD LYME — The death of Captain Roderick M. White on March 11, 2020, has been announced. He was 91. A service for White will be held at the United States Coast Guard Chapel with an inurnment in the Columbarium at the Academy. Services will be scheduled when the Academy re-opens.

Captain White was Old Lyme’s 2017 Citizen of the Year and the proclamation announcing that read, “Over the course of his 50+ years in Old Lyme, Rod White has set a high standard for community service. Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Rod graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1950. He spent the next quarter of a century making his mark in the Coast Guard. A faculty member from 1969 to 1974, he served as Dean of Academics from 1974 to 1983. In 1969, he was named the outstanding Naval Engineer of the year, receiving the prestigious Gold Medal from the American Society of Naval Engineers.”

Commenting in more detail on White’s Gold Medal citation, the Proclamation said it, “refers to “his exceptional analytical skills and technical competence… [and] significant contributions in the advancement of icebreaker design …” It was Rod’s “White Bow” design that made it possible for the SS Manhattan to make the first successful transit of the Northwest Passage by a commercial vessel.”

Another photo from the 2017 Citizen of the Year celebrations shows Captain White (seated) being congratulated by previous Old Lyme Citizens of the Year, Jeff Sturges (left) and Lynn Fairfield-Sonn (right.) See more photos of that night at this link.

The Proclamation continued, “Rod White has used his exceptional skills in our community in so many ways. A founding member of the Harbor Management Commission, he served as Chair from 1988 to 1994, and was elected Registrar of Voters from 1993 to 2004. An active member of the Republican Town Committee, serving as both secretary and vice-chair, he was elected for two terms to the Regional District 18 Board of Education, serving from 1997 to 2005.  Rod was our Town’s representative to the Southeastern Tourism District for many years, and currently serves on the Board of Assessment Appeals, a position to which he was first elected in 2007.”

Adding, “Despite his obviously busy schedule, Rod willingly shared his talents with a larger community, as well,”  the Proclamation listed that Captain White served as Executive Director for the Eastern CT Foundation for Public Giving, Executive Director of the Coast Guard Foundation, Chair of the Boy Scouts Long Range Planning Committee and as a member of both the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Board and Connecticut’s Olympic Committee. He was also a loyal and active member of Rotary International since 1975.

Read Captain White’s obituary at this link.

Editor’s Note: We extend our deepest sympathies to Captain White’s family on his passing. We knew him as a kind and gracious gentleman, always ready to help anyone at any time, and a pillar of public service .

Sarah Wood McCracken, “Sally”
Nov. 2, 1941 – April 12, 2020

Sarah Wood McCracken, “Sally.”

LYME — Sarah Wood McCracken, “Sally” age 78, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 12, 2020 from complications related to dementia. She resided at Atria Crossroads Place Memory Care in Waterford for the past year and a half, where she received extraordinary and compassionate care.

Sally was the beloved wife of Robert F. McCracken of Niantic at 17 Whiting Farms Lane, 06357. She was born in New London on November 2, 1941 the daughter of Charles Bradley and Carolyn Horsfall Wood. She attended New London High School and then graduated from the Northfield School for Girls. She received her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Botany from Connecticut College in 1963. Sally married Robert McCracken, then in the US Navy Submarine Force, in 1963, and two children, Robert Jr and Margaret were born in 1964 and 1965.

In 1981 she realized her lifelong ambition to become a Landscape Architect, receiving her Master’s Degree in LA from the City College of New York. After working for several LA firms in Washington DC, Chicago and New York City, she and Robert moved to Lyme, Connecticut in 1994. There she realized her second lifelong ambition, to become licensed and build her own Landscape Architecture practice which she did very successfully until 2016 when she retired. She was a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Sally was also a very active member of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme where she designed and supervised the preservation of the church gardens, including a Memorial Garden where she will be interred. Sally also served on the church property committee and sang in the choir for 20 years. Her life was further enriched by taking professional voice lessons for many years, and she was an avid quilter.

Besides her husband Bob, Sally leaves her children, Robert F. McCracken, Jr. and his wife Sinclair of Poquoson, VA, and Margaret A. Barta and her husband Eric of Chandler, AZ, and her beloved grandchildren, Alexander E. Barta, Jordan A. Walters, Andrew R. McCracken and Kendall A. McCracken. She also leaves her brother, Charles B. Wood III of Cambridge, MA and his wife Mardges Bacon.

A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Sally’s name may be made to the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371. These memorial gifts will support the continued flourishing of the church gardens, as well as enhancing the church’s music ministry.

To share a memory of Sally or send a condolence to her family, please visit www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements are in the care of the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.

These are extracts from Mr. Dey’s full obituary, which was published in the Hartford Courant at this link. 

On April 16, 2020, Charles Frederick Dey died peacefully at home in Walpole, NH, at the age of 89. Charley, or “Doc,” to his Dartmouth friends, wanted to be remembered first and foremost as an educator who worked to bring about positive change. During his 60 years as a teacher, an administrator and a social entrepreneur, Charley fought for racial equity and equal educational opportunity …

Following eighteen years of service at Choate Rosemary, Charley and [his wife] Phoebe moved to Lyme, CT. Together they tended to gardens and bluebirds in the fields surrounding their 1720’s Cape. Before long, Charley was bringing his experience and passion to the disability world …

Although Charley was never one to seek the spotlight, it often found him. In 2002, he was awarded the Tucker Foundation’s first Lester B. Granger Award for his dedication to education, racial equality and public service. He received the inaugural Purpose Prize from Encore.org in 2006, given to social entrepreneurs who in their later years contribute substantially to society. Harvard’s Graduate School of Education honored him with an Alumni Council Award in 2010, in recognition of his “deep and lasting impact on the world.” …

Walter Sanders

OLD LYME — Walter E. Sanders was born in New London, CT in September 1940. He passed away in Middletown, CT on January 21, 2020 at age 79 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He died peacefully, surrounded by family.

After graduating from New London High School in 1958, Walter joined the Army National Reserves and served until he was honorably discharged in 1965. He married Jacquelyn Gould on August 21, 1965. They moved to Old Lyme is 1977, where they spent most of their lives together.

Walter’s first job was working in a lab at Pfizer, an experience that created a lasting impression on him. Walter held a real estate broker license from 1969 to the present, encompassing a fifty-year career. During his active years, he built more than 50 houses, a hotel, and several shopping centers. Walter was very proud of his three children, each of whom he encouraged to get a “marketable skill.” He was fascinated with nutrition and vitamins, and ran Flanders Health Foods for many years. He loved to give his favorite snack, butter, to his many grand-dogs.

Walter is survived by his wife Jackie, his son Eric Sanders of Black Rock, his son Mike Sanders and his wife Janice of Old Lyme, and his daughter Sharon Koch and her husband Eric of Essex. He was predeceased by his parents, Charles and Phyllis Snosky, and brothers Charles and William Sanders. He is also survived by a sister, Phyllis Martin of Mystic, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial donations in Walter’s name would be gratefully appreciated to the CT Humane Society, the Visiting Nurses of Southeastern Connecticut, or the Hospice unit of Middlesex Hospital. The family would like to thank the many wonderful aides, nurses, therapists, and doctors who helped with his care. A celebration of life will be held in Walter’s honor.

OLD LYME — Dr. Donald W. Zapatka, 85 the son of Walter and Anna Zapatka (Ziezulewicz) of New Britain, CT. passed away on May 7, 2020 at Bride Brook Health and Rehabilitation Center. Donald graduated from St. Louis Dental School, MO. Following this he served overseas with the United States Army, where he met and married Erna Kempe of Germany. They settled in Old Lyme, CT. He worked for the University of CT, and established a private dental practice in Old Lyme.

Read the full obituary on the Courant at this link.

OLD LYME — David “Dave” Lawrence Allyn, 66, of Old Lyme, beloved husband of 40 years to Donna (Diangi) Allyn, passed away May 4, 2020 after a courageous nine-year battle with cancer. He was born May 3, 1954, in New London and was raised in Mystic, graduating from Stonington High School in 1972.

Dave had a love for music that began early on. He started playing accordion at the age of nine …

Read the full obituary at this link.

OLD LYME — Anna Lukacs, age 95, of Old Lyme, formerly of Trumbull, and beloved wife of the late Emil Lukacs, passed away on May 12, 2020 at Bride Brook Health Center, Niantic. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1924 to the late George and Susan (Polascik) Angelovich, Anna made the passage at the age of 14 to Bridgeport, where her family settled. She fully embraced her new country as a citizen, working for 25 years at General Electric to help support her family.

Read the full obituary at this link.