Category: In Memoriam (Page 1 of 10)

Remembering friends who have departed

Peter Anker

Peter Louis Anker (born May 14, 1935) passed away at his home in Darien on February 23, surrounded by family. As his name suggests, Peter was a strong and sturdy support for all who knew him. For his family, he was a warm, loving and supportive rock on which multiple generations grew and prospered. Professionally, his wise counsel and advice in the metals and mining industry helped build one of America’s premier investment banks.

A woodworker all his life, he knew the importance of a sturdy base and strong connections. Like the best cabinet makers, he made joints to give a piece of furniture or cabinet beauty and function and joined its parts for life. With family, friends and colleagues, his wisdom, decency, and humor were the mortices that held them together.

He was born into an extended Jewish family in Konigsberg, Germany, in 1935. He and his parents Dorothea and Hans were forced to flee their home and family in 1939 for safety in England first and then to the United States in 1940. He grew up in Springfield, Ill., where he, his parents and his sister Carole Jean built a new life.

Peter graduated from Springfield High School in 1953 and was one of very few members of his high school class to come East for college, attending Columbia University in New York City and graduating in 1957. While at Columbia, he studied English literature, skied in Canada and Vermont and stood to see all the great Broadway musicals.

He never lost his love for reading, theater, and New England, filling his bookshelves and Kindle, attending performances at and supporting Encores and the Goodspeed Opera House, and skiing and vacationing at his home in Vermont. Music and the arts were also constant throughout his life — classical music and the Great American Songbook always played in his house, car, and workshop. Following in the footsteps of his father, who helped found the Springfield (now Illinois) Symphony, Peter was an active board member of the Stamford Symphony (now Lumos) in Connecticut

He received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1961. He served in the United States Air Force on active duty between college and graduate school and in the reserves in France after being called up during the Berlin Wall crisis. He had a long and successful Wall Street career as a securities analyst in the metals industry, including at Smith Barney and First Boston, ultimately retiring as director of equity research at First Boston, before unretiring multiple times.

But Peter was much more than his impressive resume. His greatest achievements and joy were his family — his two sons, Philip, of Keston, England, and Kent of Pleasantville, N.Y., their wives Elizabeth and Patty, and his grandchildren Samuel, Lucy, G and Roan. He was a constant loving presence providing advice, encouragement and wisdom with distance never being an obstacle, regularly providing typed letters and phone calls. His home was a center of celebration, wine and chocolate (which he could not live without). He was a devoted brother to his sister Carole Jean Sternstein and her husband Jerry and uncle to his nephew Matthew Sternstein, his niece Alexis Schwartz, and their families.

His great love was his wife Billie. Married for 33 years and best friends for years before that, they built a life together of family, joy, laughter, food and travel, and were constant companions. He became a beloved stepfather, grandfather and great-grandfather to Billie’s four children, John, Chris, Tom and Karen, who brought them 11 grandchildren and their ever-growing number of great-grandchildren (now at seven). He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, great-children and his sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew.

Craig Marlow Ferguson

Craig Marlow Ferguson, 88, a lifelong Darien resident, died peacefully on March 28, 2026, from complications related to Parkinson’s Disease. He was surrounded by his wife Linda and three children.

Born in Stamford on September 15, 1937, to James and Jessie Ferguson, Craig was the youngest of three sons. He was predeceased by his parents and his older brothers Bruce Lyons Ferguson and Thomas Donaldson Ferguson, his foster brother Peter Bodick, his nephew Bruce Wayne Ferguson and his nephew’s wife Barbara Ferguson. Craig attended Stamford schools and graduated from Darien High School in 1955 and Colgate University in 1959. Craig began his insurance career with Childs & Wood in Chicago and New York before starting Craig M. Ferguson & Company in the early 1970s in New York. He was known among his clients and employees as an excellent problem solver and a generous and caring business owner. Craig and Linda raised their children in Darien.

Craig had a lot of hobbies and interests. He was an exceptional cook and loved nothing more than cooking at family holidays and gatherings, presenting guests with traditional English dishes. Favorites included standing rib roast, popovers and butter tarts. Craig was also an accomplished pianist and organist, self-taught as a youngster. He learned to play the pipe organ in his youth by dropping by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Stamford after school and learning on the church organ. A real highlight was playing the organ at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. He managed the organ keyboards, pedalboard and stops with ease well into his 70s. Craig loved the natural world and backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with his children. He was a rosarian and could often be found tending to his 70 roses. It was a rare weekend that Craig wasn’t on his tractor buzzing around his property. He also enjoyed playing squash and backgammon, skiing and reading spy novels. He was a Lionel Train enthusiast who spent many years spent time perfecting his O-gauge layout, which was western-themed with rustic scenery, steam locomotives, bridges and rugged terrain spanning an entire room in his basement. A new level was achieved the day he broke through a cement interior basement wall so that the train could have a proper tunnel. The “train room” was an enchanting place for the many children who visited.

Craig was an active volunteer for most of his adult life. He volunteered at his alma mater, Colgate, in many capacities over the years and was awarded a Maroon Citation, an honor recognizing his record of service. Craig also served as chairman of the board of Miss Hall’s School in Lenox, Mass. He served on the board of Wee Burn Country Club. He was on the vestry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Stamford, involved in the 1980s Canterbury Green project, which continues to benefit the church and the St. John’s Community Foundation. Craig also served on Darien’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Wee Burn Country Club, and Lake Sunapee Yacht Club.

Craig was, above all, a family man. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Linda Stiles Ferguson, and his three children, Anne Foster (Dave), Bruce Ferguson (Pam) and Lynne Somerville (Scott), all of Darien. Also surviving are his nine grandchildren Elizabeth, Wells, Ellen, Katharine, Bruce, Peter, Doug, Andrew and Mimi and two sisters-in-law Barbara and Joanne Ferguson, as well as many nieces and nephews and their children. Some of Craig’s happiest times were spent sharing family time at his beloved Lake Sunapee before a roaring fire or sitting on the deck surrounded by laughter and love. In Craig’s passing, his family has lost a most remarkable and loved patriarch. His life will be celebrated at a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday April 9 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 1864 Boston Post Road, Darien.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Craig’s memory to Colgate University, PO Box 313, Canajoharie, NY 13317-0313. Donations will be directed to the Jessie Ferguson Endowed Scholarship Fund, created by Craig in honor of his mother.

The family wishes to thank Craig’s caregivers, Joseph, Gina, Diane, Maria, and Debbie.

Robert (Peter) Edwin Kenyon III

Robert Edwin Kenyon III, known as Peter, passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on December 21, 2025.

Peter was born in Chicago on July 27, 1938, to Robert Edwin Kenyon, Jr., and Doris Bokum Kenyon. They moved to Old Greenwich when Peter was six years old. He graduated from Kent School in 1957 and Columbia University in 1962. Shortly after graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy in San Diego and served for two tours of duty on the destroyer Bausell (DD845), on which he saw action off the coast of Vietnam. After his active military service, Peter went on to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve for another 20 years.

Peter met the love of his life, Kathleen O’Neill, in San Diego. They moved to Darien in 1972, where Peter enjoyed a long, distinguished career as both a reinsurance underwriter and broker. He retired from Guy Carpenter & Co. in 2014.

Peter was most proud of his family, and nothing was more important to him than the time he spent with them. He shared his love of the water with them, spending many a beach vacation together in Nantucket over the years and taking his kids out early in the morning on fishing trips, where he painstakingly taught all of them how to cast and reel one in. Peter taught his kids and grandkids many of his own passions, including, but not limited to: sports and the importance of teamwork; traveling, both exploring new places and going back to favorites; all things food-related; anything related to the Navy; and the impact of volunteering and community service. Most important, both Peter and Kathy would drop everything to be there for their loved ones, and that had an everlasting impact on the family.

Upon moving to Darien, Peter became a devoted volunteer of many organizations. He served on the RTM for District II and was elected moderator of the RTM for six terms. He was a parishioner at Saint Luke’s Parish, serving on its vestry, being an usher and faithfully staffing the dessert table at community suppers. Peter coached his son’s Darien Youth Hockey team, served on the PTO at Tokeneke School, worked on Darien’s Environmental Protection Commission, raised funds for the Darien Old Timers Athletic Association, mentored candidates of the Navy SEAL Recruiting District Assistance Council and supported the Middlesex Genealogy Society.

Peter was blessed by the gift of life, having  received a heart transplant in early 2002. Both Peter and Kathy felt strongly about honoring his donor by giving back through volunteering at Yale New Haven and mentoring patients waiting for a transplant and those living with a left ventricular assist device.

Peter is survived by his wife of 59 years, Kathleen O’Neill Kenyon; his daughters Kelly (Dave) Wheeler, Michelle Kenyon (Frank Persico) and Robyn (Mark) Kammerer; his son Jonathan (Janine) Kenyon; his grandchildren Jack, Charlie and Ali Wheeler, Benjamin and Isadora Kammerer, and Jonty and Nicky Kenyon; his sister Pamela Force; and many nephews and nieces.

Bob Fiske

Robert (Bob) Bishop Fiske Jr., devoted family man and esteemed lawyer, died peacefully at his home in Darien  on December 4, 2025. He was 94. The cause was pancreatic cancer.

Born in Brooklyn on December 28, 1930, Bob spent his formative years in Darien. He met his future wife, Janet Tinsley, when they were teenagers. They remained happily married for over 71 years, often repeating the phrase, “together forever.”

Bob’s greatest joy was his family. Many of his happiest moments were spent sharing adventures with them. He cherished trips to Block Island, Nantucket, Steamboat and special times together at a second home in Vermont. An avid outdoorsman, he hiked the Long Trail in Vermont, the Appalachian Trail and New Zealand’s Milford Track, and took particular pride in completing the New York City Marathon and the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, as well as riding for many years in the Pan-Mass Challenge. He was a longtime member and sailor at Noroton Yacht Club and an enthusiastic fly fisherman at the Balsam Lake Club in Livingston Manor, N.Y. Bob embraced every opportunity to be outside, turning boating, skiing and countless other activities into treasured family memories. He continued playing tennis and kayaking in Long Island Sound well into his nineties.

An alumnus of Pomfret School, Yale University and the University of Michigan Law School, Bob was a distinguished partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell. He served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) from 1976 to 1980, leading one of the nation’s most prominent prosecutorial offices. He personally led several high-profile cases, including the conviction of “Mr. Untouchable,” Harlem drug kingpin Nicky Barnes. While at the SDNY, he began his dedication to the hiring and advancement of women in the legal profession.

In 1994, Attorney General Janet Reno selected Bob to serve as the Independent Counsel investigating President Clinton’s involvement in the Whitewater matter, a role for which he was universally praised across the political spectrum for his sterling reputation, non-partisan decision-making, integrity and prosecutorial excellence.

Bob’s professional achievements and reputation garnered him numerous awards and distinctions. In addition, he served as president of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Federal Bar Council.

Reflecting his belief that exposure to both public and private practice cultivates more experienced lawyers, Bob created the Fiske Fellowship Program at the University of Michigan Law School in 2001 to financially support graduates beginning their careers in public service. He was deeply committed to public service and the communities he loved. Bob devoted many years to the Board of Trustees of Vermont Law School, helping to shape and strengthen the school’s future, and to the Vermont Natural Resources Council, reflecting his longstanding passion for conservation and the environment. Closer to home, he served as the Darien Police Commissioner for many years.

In 2014, he published Prosecutor, Defender, Counselor: The Memoirs of Robert B. Fiske Jr., reflecting on his legal career and personal life. After retiring from Davis Polk, Bob continued to work on legal matters, serving on committees and participating in pro bono cases until his death.

Bob had a remarkable intellect and memory, matched by his kind and generous nature. He had a rare ability to connect with anyone, taking a genuine interest in their lives. His dry wit and understated manner often belied his outgoing nature and boundless energy. His zest for life shone through in the way he loved planning gatherings with family and friends. Many of these grew into lasting traditions, particularly attending Yale and University of Michigan sporting events.

Bob leaves behind his beloved wife Janet; their children Linda, Robert and Susan (Rusty Williams); five grandsons: Ryan (Ellen), Calvin (Milena), and Robert “Roby” Williams and George and Sam Fiske; and great-grandson Owen Williams. He is survived by his brother John and predeceased by his brother McNeil.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 31 at 2 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien. To watch online, visit https://www.saintlukesdarien.org/event/funeral-for-robert-fiske/.

The family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Robert B. Fiske Jr. Fellowship Program in Public Service, https://giving.umich.edu/um/w/robert-b.-fiske-jr.-fellowship-program-in-public-service-575174, Soundwaters, https://soundwaters.org/donatenow or a charity of your choice

Bill Anderson

William H. (Bill) Anderson passed away peacefully at his home on December 3, 2025, at age 95. Born November 24, 1930, in South Bend, Ind., Bill grew up in a football family. His father, Heartley “Hunk” Anderson, coached at Notre Dame and the Chicago Bears. His mother Marie was a teacher and homemaker. The youngest of three children, he was cherished by sisters Shirley Simpson and Joann Wilcox, both of whom predeceased him.

At Duke University, Bill excelled in track and was an ROTC member. A church supper introduced him to Margaret “Mugsie” Worrell, the love of his life. After graduating cum laude, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War but not before they married in Palm Beach, starting a 67-year union.

Bill spent 26 years at IBM, rising through the ranks and relocating often to support his family. Later, as CIO at Prudential Securities, his leadership earned him a Board seat. He retired after two decades and is remembered for integrity, mentorship and treating his teams like family.

Family was always at the heart of Bill’s life. He and Mugsie, along with their four boys, cherished summers boating and winters skiing. Bill continued to nurture those bonds by hosting countless family gatherings that created shared experiences and lasting memories.

Bill was a man of faith and generosity, devoting his time, talent and resources to every church he served — especially St. John’s in Hingham, Mass., and Saint Luke’s Parish in Darien. He held roles from youth leader to warden to usher, reflecting his deep commitment to his faith community. Bill also championed outreach initiatives, supporting Person to Person in Darien and the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance. He lived his faith through action and kindness.

Bill was predeceased by Mugsie and his son Mark Worrell Anderson. He is survived by his son William (Oz) and his wife Cindy of Cameron Park, Calif.; his son Jeffrey and his wife Karin of Hingham, Mass.; his son Daniel and his wife Julia of Stamford; and his daughter-in-law Christine of Manchester, N.H. Bill was blessed with 12 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at Saint Luke’s Parish on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Person to Person, 1864 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820, or The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist, 172 Main Street, Hingham, Mass. The family wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude for the love, prayers and support shared during this time. Bill’s life was a gift to all who knew him, and his legacy of kindness, faith and devotion will continue to inspire the family, which invites you to join it in celebrating his remarkable life and in keeping his memory alive through acts of love and generosity.

Sandy McDonald

John Miller McDonald Jr., known to most as Sandy, died on August 25, 2025. He was 95 and lived most recently in Northampton, Mass.  Born on January 5, 1930, in Evanston, Ill. and raised in Winnetka, Ill., Sandy was the son of John Miller McDonald of Columbus, Ohio and Florence Merrill McDonald of St. Paul, Minn. He married Ann Gebhart McDonald (“Gebby”) in 1961, and they spent 64 happy years by each other’s side. He graduated in 1947 from New Trier High School in Winnetka, and from Dartmouth College in 1951. He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy in 1952, serving as a gunnery officer in the Mediterranean on the destroyer USS Warrington. Later, his service continued at the Naval Academy, teaching sailing and racing from Argentina to Brazil before his honorable discharge as lieutenant in 1956. He received an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 1957.

Sandy spent his entire career in sales and marketing positions in the plastic packaging business, first for Kordite in Rochester, N.Y. and Atlanta, and then for 36 years at Continental Can (later Continental Plastic Containers). Throughout his career, he was active in the larger plastics industry, with roles at the Society of Plastics Industry and as a spokesman for public affairs of the Plastic Bottle Institute. He helped to establish the plastic bottle material coding standards for recycling and capped his career at Continental as an environmental consultant.

In 1962, Sandy and Gebby settled into what became their home of 58 years in Noroton Bay in Darien, where they raised three boys. Some of the most memorable moments of his life revolved around boats and the water. Growing up, he sailed on Lake Michigan. At Dartmouth, he raced on the sailing team and helped construct an early boathouse. He raced an Ensign and then a Sonar on Long Island Sound, savored his memorable trips to sail with family and friends in the British Virgin Islands, and proudly entertained many on his retirement Grady-White powerboat.

A member of Noroton Yacht Club for over 60 years, Sandy served in various positions of leadership there and in the broader Darien and Long Island Sound community. He served on the Junior Sailing Committee at Noroton Yacht Club for six years, including as chairman. He served a six-year term as a flag officer, becoming commodore in 1980. During his tenure, the club hosted the National Junior Sailing Championship. Sandy and Gebby founded and produced the Noroton Fleet Sheet for more than 10 years. He was a 1999 recipient of the Moon Award, presented to a club member who has given extraordinary volunteer effort over time to the club.

He served as chairman of the Junior Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound, and as environmental chair of the organization. He was a member of the Connecticut Harbor Management Board, vice chair of the Connecticut Boating Council, and represented Darien on the Citizens Advisory Committee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound Study. He also served as chairman of the Darien Advisory Commission on Coastal Waters and was Secretary of the High-Speed Ferry Safety Task Force of Long Island Sound.

Sandy took great joy in celebrating others in their achievements, always ready with a smile and a hearty handshake of greeting or congratulation. All who knew him felt his warmth and curiosity, as he inquired about their latest pursuits and shared what he had learned from his own avid reading. To be at a table with him as he raised a glass in “Skol!” was to feel kinship as family. He was an active and devoted father, and later grandfather. Sandy was a happy Scotsman, proud of his Scottish heritage and a long-time member of Clan Donald USA.

Sandy is survived by his wife Gebby; their three sons Jock, Doug and Geoff; three daughters-in-law Allison Bleyler McDonald, Deanna Cook McDonald and Sarah Brubacher McDonald; and five grandchildren Ella, Maisie, Callum, Spencer and Rory McDonald.

A celebration of Sandy’s life will be held at Noroton Presbyterian Church and Noroton Yacht Club on December 27, 2025.

Frank Kemp

Frank Badart Kemp of Darien passed away peacefully at home on August 30, 2025, due to heart failure.

Born on September 30, 1943, to Blanche and Lemuel Kemp, Frank was raised at their home in Catonsville Md. He graduated from McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md. in 1961.

As an American studies major at Yale’s Davenport College, he was active in campus programs, especially the Yale Political Union, taking great pleasure in hosting guest speakers of national reputation to a seminar chat, dinner, and then presentations to the larger student body.

He enlisted in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps, and upon graduation in 1965 was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry. His initial assignment was at Camp Casey, Tongduchon, Korea, 40 miles north of Seoul and near the Demilitarized Military Zone. His first assignment was an infantry platoon leader, prior to being promoted to first lieutenant and the battalion staff. Prior to his discharge from the Army, he taught marksmanship to basic trainees at Fort Dix.

At Columbia University he earned an M.B.A. in 1969, majoring in finance and information management and was hired into a start-up training program for liberal arts graduates by Arthur Young and Company. There, he learned the consultant’s discipline and thrived in projects devoted to computer systems and development.

While at Columbia he met and courted Judith Ann Budding who had graduated from Connecticut College while he was in the Army. Their marriage in the fall of 1969 marked the beginning of 44 years of bliss, starting in Murray Hill, then Brooklyn Heights, and a final move to Darien in 1987. Once settled in at Seagate Road in Darien, they began their commuting careers, together in the morning, but unable to coordinate the timings of their trips home.

With a love for sailing, clearly inherited from his dad, Frank ventured with Judy all over Long Island Sound, enjoying weeks-long cruises to places where they could anchor out and enjoy the sunsets. In later years, the sailing platform was an 18′ Marshall Catboat, a sturdy craft found mostly in the middle of the pack: neither the first, nor the last. After the years of sailing, he recently “went to the dark side” with a sturdy 19′ center console boat, taking it to Hartford, the Erie Canal and around Manhattan several times, for the pure joy of it.

Following a career at Arthur Young, Frank served as chief information officer (CIO)for the Municipal Bond Investors Assurance Corporation and the law firm of Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdun, completing his career as CIO at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants just after Y2K computer issues were resolved.

On their retirements in 2000, Frank and Judy launched into a most vigorous era of public service projects within Darien. Frank was recognized as a volunteer of the year in 2006, served on the boards of Person-to-Person and the Darien Arts Center and on the vestry of Saint Luke’s Parish. He served as president of the Darien Arts Center for several years, and as commander of the Darien Sail & Power Squadron. He relished the challenges of organizing the Squadron’s flare up session, as well as the boat camp, involving over 100 camper students and many volunteers’ boats.

Upon the loss of Judy in 2013, Frank returned to active participation in yet more civic activity, including teaching boating courses for the Darien Sail & Power Squadron. It has been estimated that he and his colleagues taught and certified over 3,000 students for their Connecticut boating licenses — many of whom remained good friends.

He was one of the longer-serving members of Darien’s Representative Town Meeting and was chair of the committee that has been revising the town’s charter and ordinances.

He is survived by his partner Margaret MacMillen and a great cloud of honorary nieces and nephews, and their kids.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Frank’s memory to Person-to-Person, 1864 Post Road, Darien CT 06820 or  East Coast Contemporary Ballet, 15 Yew Street, Norwalk, CT 06850.

Doug Campbell

Douglas Campbell III, age 72, passed away on September 2, 2025, at his home in Stamford with his wife and kids at his side after a courageous four-year battle with ALS. He went peacefully thanks to an abundance of love and support from family and friends, and because he was able to watch the University of Michigan football team win its first game of the season a few days prior. 

The son of the late Douglas Campbell Jr. and Elizabeth MacColl Campbell, Doug was born on March 6, 1953, in Detroit, and grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 1971 and received a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire in 1975. After a stint at the U.S. State Department, he received an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in 1980.

In 1972, Doug met Gwynne (MacColl) Campbell in Portland, Oreg., and in 1978 they got engaged in Italy. They married on Cape Cod a year later and relocated to Darien, where together they opened the first Sylvan Learning Center on the East Coast, providing tutoring and test prep for 36 years.

In 1995, Doug founded The Success Coach to help CEOs and their teams reach business goals. Simultaneously, he taught M.B.A. classes for almost two decades at Sacred Heart University and Fairfield University and ran monthly “High Talent Creatives” networking meetings until 2014. In 2019, he helped launch and co-hosted the Stamford Ferguson Library’s Entrepreneur in Residence Program.

He served on many local boards, including the Darien Chamber of Commerce, Darien Men’s Association, Darien Land Trust and Connecticut’s Angel Investment Forum. In recognition of his service to The Hotchkiss Fund, Doug received the school’s Armitage Award in 2023. He wrote books titled Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Business and Your Career and The 16-28 Solution: Unleash the Passions of Your Youth. He co-authored Major Issues of the Law of the Sea with his professor at University of New Hampshire after graduating from there.

Doug was most proud of the family that his wife and he raised. He is survived by son Colin and wife Tara Craft and their two daughters, Alma and Chloe, and his daughter Caroline and husband Robert Dickie and their two sons, Brooks and Miller. Doug cherished his grandchildren and loved playing tickle monster and games with them.

Doug loved coaching Colin and Caroline on their youth ice hockey, baseball and softball teams. A lifelong golfer, fisher, biker, ice skater and swimmer, Doug loved being active and supporting his teams. He spent many summers hiking in Michigan’s upper peninsula and continued to enjoy the outdoors at the family house in Matunuck, R.I.

Doug was a member of Noroton Presbyterian Church where he served on the missions board and co-founded a multi-denominational men’s bible study group, now in its 18th year. Doug also helped establish micro lending initiatives in Ecuador and El Salvador. He enjoyed his many trips abroad, visiting all continents except Antarctica.

In early 2022, Doug was diagnosed with ALS and vowed to fight the terminal illness with positivity, science, humor and diligence, inspiring his family, friends and business community until the very end.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to ALS United Connecticut (4 Oxford Road, Suite E4, Milford, CT 06460, www.alsunitedct.org) or the Darien Land Trust (5 Brook St., Darien, CT 06820, https://darienlandtrust.org).

Tom Taylor

Thomas Taylor Obituary

Thomas William Taylor, Sr.
Tom Taylor, a 45 year resident of Darien, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2024. Tom was born to Alva and Mary Taylor in Coshocton, OH, and earned a BA from Duke University, and JD from University of Michigan Law School.
After graduation, he lived in Cleveland, where he met his wife-to-be, Janet Hausser. They moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 1974 and to Darien in 1979 with their two children, Thomas W., Jr. of Oak Park, IL (Jody Evenson) and Kathleen T. Nash of Fairfield.
He was employed for nearly 40 years by the Comptroller of the Currency, a bank regulatory agency of the United States Treasury Department. During his tenure he represented the agency as its member on the National Commission on Electronic Funds Transfers and established the first formal consumer protection office.
Upon retirement he became a volunteer at Person to Person, a member of the Darien Men’s association, and as Treasurer and Board member of the Darien Community Association. He was an active member of the Noroton Presbyterian Church and served as an elder and deacon, as well as a longtime member of the finance committee. He was also active in the Presbytery of Southern New England for many years in several capacities, including Treasurer, and as a member of the Committee on Ministry, Nominations, Trustees, and Council.
Despite his faith, he suffered as a devoted Cleveland Indians and Browns fan.
He is survived by four grandchildren, Betsy, Gavin, and Daphne Nash, and Sam Taylor, by his brother Richard A. Taylor of Coshocton (Judy Taylor), sister Elizabeth Reid of Columbia, MO (Robert Reid), sister-in-law Jeanne Lipps of San Marino, CA, and by two nieces and four nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Janet, and his brother, Joseph F. Taylor.
A memorial service will be held later this spring.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Noroton Presbyterian Church: https://www.noroton.church/give-online/

Robert Hopkins

Robert Hopkins Obituary

Robert W Hopkins
Robert Woodhull Hopkins, 95, passed away Saturday, April 6th, at Stamford Hospital. He was husband to Joan Dreher Hopkins, the son of Robert Carl and Eleanor Adams Hopkins and little brother of Sylvia Hopkins Siegler. He was a beloved husband, son, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and brother.
Bob was born in Orange, New Jersey, on February 9, 1929. The family would move to Connecticut a few years later, and Bob would become a proud lifelong resident of Darien, CT.
He attended Kimball Union Academy, the class of 1947, in Meriden, New Hampshire, where he excelled academically and athletically, twice serving as class president. From KUA, Bob went on to Dartmouth, following in the footsteps of his uncles Ernest (who went on to be the 11th president of Dartmouth), Louis and his father, Robert. At Dartmouth Bob continued to excel, majoring in Economics, and playing baseball, hockey, and varsity soccer.
Dartmouth, and Hanover, would be a treasured community in Bob’s life for many years to come, marked by many reunion trips and close bonds with his fellow ’51 classmates.
After graduating from Dartmouth, Bob married Joan Dreher Hopkins, daughter of Monroe Franklin Dreher and Elizabeth Stirling Dreher, also of Darien, on April 11, 1953. They had met 8 years prior, in Darien, at a Cinderella Dance.
Bob enlisted in the US Navy in 1951 as a Naval Cadet, enrolling in the flight training program in Pensacola, Florida. He was commissioned as an Ensign. He flew propeller Corsairs, then jet Banshees, serving as a Lieutenant from 1953-1955 during the Korean War on the aircraft carrier, the Valley Forge.
However active his life may have been, Bob’s true love and dedication was to his wife, Joan, and his three daughters, Christina, Elizabeth and Susan. Three generations of Hopkins family were deeply fortunate to spend decades together, in Darien and in Delray Beach, Florida. In recent years, Bob had greeted two great-granddaughters, both of whom will cherish early memories and photographs with ‘Great Grandad.’
As a passionate golfer, he was a member of Woodway Country Club, in Darien where he served as President, and the St. Andrews Club, Delray Beach, Florida. He was an active member of the Connecticut State Golf Association, serving as president from 1995-1996. In his later years, and up until not that long ago, he was a Course Rater, rating and playing almost every golf course in the state.
He was deeply loved and will be forever missed. The funeral services will be private and held at a future date. Memorial remembrances may be made to Kimball Union Academy at Kimball Union Academy, 7 Campus Center Drive, Meriden, NH. 03770.

Tom Gildersleve

Note from his son Mark:

My father must have belonged to your group for upwards of 20 years. He always enjoyed the speakers. He participated in your tennis group for many years up to the age of 86 or so. After that, he became an active member of your bridge group, which provided many hours of entertainment in his last decade. You provide a great service to the community, and my father was quite fortunate to have been able to be a part of it.

« Older posts