Ahern Funeral Home Condolences

Neal Stanley Humphrey, 65, beloved husband of Ginger Humphrey, passed away May 17th at his home. Born in Hartford, April 29th, 1948, son of the late John Stanley and Lois C. Humphrey. Neal was a United States Navy veteran and was a Process Operator at Exxon for many years. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and he will be missed! Besides his wife, Neal is survived by his daughters, Brandi C. Humphrey and Jennifer S. Lewis; son-in-law, Bobby D. Lewis; grandchildren, Brittany A. Lewis, M. Jade Lewis, and Kennadi K. Lee; his brother, Glenn Humphrey; and his sisters, Joan Tharau and Sue Quartiero and several nephews. Graveside funeral services will be held Friday (June 21) at 9:00am in Center Cemetery, Burlington with Rev. Wendell Taylor officiating. Until we see you again…Rest in Peace / Paradise Pop!

Mariann Clemenza Peters, D.D.S., 50, of Farmington, beloved wife of Thomas G. Peters, D.M.D., passed away peacefully Friday, June 14, 2013.  Born in Bronx, New York , March 27, 1963, daughter of Camille (DiFrisco) Pandolfelli of Naples, Florida and the late Vito Clemenza.  Mariann was a graduate of Fordham University and the Georgetown University School of Dentistry. Besides her husband and mother, Mariann is survived by her sons, Thomas G. Peters, Jr. and Christopher W. Peters, both at home in Farmington, her sister, Carolyn Clemenza-Dixon, D.D.S. and her husband Thomas Chappaqua, NY, her brother, John W. Clemenza, M.D, D.M.D, his wife, Vassie  and their children, William, Camilyn and Patrice of Hermitage, PA.   Her mother-in-law, Mary Elaine (Panagos) Peters of Farmington, her sister-in-laws, Cheryl Peters and her husband Mark Schlepphorst and their children, Olivia and Katie, of Groton, MA and Niki Franklyn and her husband Wilnems and their daughter, Zoe, of Watertown, MA.

Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville Today (June 16) and Monday (June 17) from 6:00-10:00pm. The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated Tuesday (June 18) at 10:30am in the Church of Saint Patrick, Main Street, Farmington. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery, Farmington. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Mariann’s memory to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087-7106 www.mskcc.org for breast cancer research.

Anthony Martin Dubin, 63, of Hartford, passed away unexpectedly Friday, June 7^th. Born in Hartford, October 31^st, 1949, son of the late John Paul and Agnes (Casmanaitis) Dubin. He attended Holy Trinity Grammar School and South Catholic High, both in Hartford and was a graduate of the University of Hartford, School of Arts. Anthony was employed at the UConn Health Center and at the Southington Water Department. He loved art, reciting poetry and his family. Anthony is survived by his four children, Joy Bonneau of New Paltz, NY, Jared Dubin of Brooklyn, NY, Keith Dubin and Timothy Dubin both of Southington, his two sisters Mary Ann Dubin of Farmington and Joan P. Steinen of Philadelphia, PA, his two nieces, Karyn Giannotti and Tonya Steinen, his nephew Jonathan Steinen and his wife Kaitlin and many cousins. Friends may call at the Church of St. Mary Star of the Sea, Unionville on Friday (June 14) from 9:30-10:45am followed by the Funeral Liturgy at 11:00am. Burial will be in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to NAMI Connecticut, 576 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105.

Carmela R. (LaBruna) Spagna passed away peacefully at home with family by her side on Saturday, June 8, 2013. Born October 30, 1919 in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Rose (Cima) LaBruna. She leaves two children, Patricia and her husband Joseph Petrone and Joseph Spagna and his wife Marjorie, five grandchildren, Mark and Christopher Petrone, Andrea Gudauskas, Jennifer Kaminski, Jill Lefebvre and eight great grandchildren. She grew up in Hartford and lived in East Hartford, Southington and Farmington. Prior to her retirement she worked for the Connecticut Department of Labor. She was a proud and caring mother who loved unconditionally, enjoyed visits from her grandchildren and great grandchildren and enjoyed sharing her love of life with them. She was a naturally artistic and creative individual who unselfishly shared her art with family and friends. She was also a talented seamstress whose handcrafted curtains still adorn the homes of her children and grandchildren. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Wednesday (June 12) from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be Thursday (June 13) at 9:15am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in the Church of Saint Patrick, 110 Main St., Farmington. Burial will be in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, 1 Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield. Memorial donations may be made in her name to Our Companions, Domestic Animal Sanctuary, PO Box 673, Bloomfield CT, 06022.

Jay Hörl Freiday passed away peacefully at 103 on June 5, 2013. Mr. Freiday was predeceased by his wife Marian Merquelin Freiday. A longtime member of the community Mr. Freiday enjoyed a very full and rich life. Born in East Orange, New Jersey on December 23, 1909, he found a passion in painting during his High School years. His hobby began as a cartoonist and he evolved into a well-revered artist of watercolors. Best known for his depictions of covered bridges, Mr. Freiday painted over 200 scenes of New England. Painting was his passion, but his career and interests took many turns. He graduated Lehigh University in 1932 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and after serving in the Navy as a Lieutenant during World War II, began a career with Combustion Engineering/Alstom in New Jersey and Connecticut. During his career with Combustion Engineering he developed multiple patents in power systems design and traveled extensively thought Europe and Asia. He retired in 1974. Hörl often said that the word retirement was not in his vocabulary. His retirement was just a prelude to his main objective – traveling and seeing the world. A life-long member of the Simsbury Ski Club, he skied worldwide and he considered skiing Mt. Blanc a high point in his life since he was able to combine his adventure with his love of photography. At 87 he gave up downhill skiing in favor of the more subdued cross country skiing. Always making community a top priority, Hörl and his wife, Marian, were ardent supporters for the Connecticut Opera, Hartford Ballet, Hartford Symphony Orchestra and The Mark Twain House where he was their photographer emeritus for many years.
Hörl will be missed by his children, Maryellen Masot of Plainville, Franklin John and Darnell Securcher of Wake Forest, NC; his grandchildren, David and Joan Masot of Plainville, Christine and Craig Petosa of Plainville, John Scott Securcher of Avon, Patrick and Jaclyn Securcher of Raleigh, NC, Christopher Securcher of Charlotte, NC and his four great-grandchildren, Kyle and Zachary Petosa of Plainville and Mattox and Macon Securcher of Raleigh, NC. Interment was held Saturday, June 8, 2013 at West Avon Cemetery in Avon. Memorial donations can be made to the USO, 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1200, Arlington, VA 22201 or the Wounded Warriors Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.

Beverly Ford Stergos, 71, of Farmington, died unexpectedly June 6, 2013. She was born to the late Ralph and Vera Ford on April 21, 1941 in Waterville, ME. Beverly graduated from Skowhegan High School, Skowhegan, ME and received a bachelor of general studies from the University of Connecticut in 2001. She is survived by her loving husband Chris Stergos of Farmington; her daughters, Melissa Caouette and Joanne Stergos, both of Farmington and her son Peter Stergos and his wife Tsambika Stergos of Burlington; she is YiaYia to six precious grandchildren Hunter (13), Anastasia (13), Cody (11), Christos (8), Savvas (8) and Isabella (3); her brother Ralph Ford, Jr. and his wife Avis of Mars Hill, ME; sister Anna Rafferty and her husband Joe of Turner, ME; her sister-in-law Ioanna Stergos of Plomari, Greece. She is also survived by many special cousins, nieces, nephews and godchildren. All of her children know secretly that they are their mother’s favorite. Her grandchildren also felt her never ending love. She spent every moment she could with them. Among her many interests she loved reading, gardening, spending time with her family, entertaining and finding a great treasure at a tag sale. Plants from her garden will live on in friends and family’s gardens from New Jersey to Maine. She was the centerpiece of the family. Beverly spent much of her time traveling with her husband, seeing her children and most of all grandmothering her much loved grandchildren and attending all their sports events and other activities. This beautiful woman will be remembered and missed by everyone that loved and knew her.
Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Monday (June 10) from 4:00-8:00pm. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 11th at 10:30 am, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 31 Brightwood Road, Bristol. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery, 160 Garden Street, Farmington.

Donald Winston Stevens, 85, of Unionville, beloved husband of Margaret “Peggy” (Marek) Stevens, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 4th. Born August 16th, 1927 in Kingston Township, PA, son of the late Myrl B. and Lydia (Pearce) Stevens. Donald attended F.L. Garrison Memorial School in Shickshinny, PA and was drafted into the United States Marine Corps in 1945. He spent most of his service in the South Pacific. Donald received a World War II Victory Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon. After his military service, Donald attended Porter School of Design and was employed as a Tool and Die Maker with Skinner Valve, now known as Honeywell in New Britain for 25 years. Donald received his pilot’s license at age 16 and enjoyed flying above the mountains of Pennsylvania. He was an avid gardener and hunter. His favorite time of year was the fall and enjoyed many camping trips with Peg in Vermont. He also enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. Besides his wife, Donald is survived by his three daughters and their husbands, Linda and Christopher W. Caprara of Winthrop, ME; Donna and Joseph P. Fialkievicz of Canton and Susan and Michael Lombardi of Watertown, his two brothers, Myrl “Ted” Stevens and his wife Mary of Berlin and Gary Stevens of Plainville, his two sisters, Norma DeRoches and her husband Joseph of Warwick, RI and Audrey Gasper and her husband Jack of Hebron, and brother-in-law Charles Karanian of New Britain and four grandchildren, Cayla, Benjamin, Michael and Angela, and numerous nieces and nephews and Alan Stevens. He was predeceased by his sister, Lois Karanian and his two brothers, James Stevens and Thomas Stevens. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Friday (June 7) from 6:00-8:00pm. Funeral services will be held in The Ahern Funeral Home on Saturday (June 8) at 10:00am with Rev. Wendell Taylor officiating. Burial with full military honors will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Avon.

Walter J. Whipple, 88, of Branford, entered into eternal rest, Sunday, June 2, 2013 at the Masonic Home and Hospital in Wallingford after a long illness. Born in Farmington, November 11, 1924, he was the son of the late Walter W. and Caroline Whipple. He lived in Avon for most of his life. In the early 1950’s he started a plumbing and heating business that his son has continued on. After retiring at 70, he and his wife left Avon to spend many years in Englewood, Florida, returning to be with family every summer in Indian Neck, Branford. He enjoyed sailing, both on Long Island Sound and Florida. He was a member of Masonic Evening Star Lodge 101 for over 60 year, serving as Master in 1958. He was also a Scottish Rite and 32nd Degree Mason. He was a longtime member of the Unionville Lions Club. He was a former member for many years of the First Congregational Church in Unionville. He was predeceased by his wife, Harriet (Haworth) Whipple, of over 63 years. He leaves three children, Deborah and her husband Robert Hartenstein of Meriden, Walter C. and his predeceased wife Nancy Whipple of Burlington, and Jeffrey and his wife Diane Whipple of Durham. In addition, he leaves seven grandchildren, William and Keith Hartenstein, Candace Farnsworth, Laurie Killiany, Jason Whipple, Dean and Taylor Whipple, and 12 great grandchildren. Walter also leaves a sister Bernice Camp of Venice, FL and a brother-in-law Arthur Haworth of Farmington. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Thursday (June 6) from 6:00-8:00pm with a Masonic Service at 7:00pm. Funeral services will be held Friday (June 7) at 11:00am in The Ahern Funeral Home with Rev. Wendell Taylor officiating. Burial will be private at Riverside Cemetery, Farmington. Memorial contributions may be made to the Masonicare Annual Appeal, c/o The Masonic Charity Foundation of CT, P.O. Box 70, Wallingford, CT 06492 or to the Masonic Building Association Memorial Fund, 22 Main St., Unionville, CT 06085.

Lucille Kennedy O’Connell, wife of Neil O’Connell, of Unionville died on Sunday, June 2, 2013. Born in Hartford, May 13, 1939, she was the youngest child of Maurice J. and Margaret O’Brien Kennedy. She was also a forty year resident of Black Point. Lucille graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy and Hartford Secretarial School. She was employed by the Farmington Public Library for over 35 years. Lucille leaves her son, Matthew Jude O’Connell and his wife Elizabeth Connors O’Connell of Harwinton, daughter Susan Elizabeth O’Connell and husband Stephan Thomas Jaeger of Old Greenwich, and daughter Julie Ann Burke, Gregory Francis Burke of Unionville. She leaves six grandchildren: Thomas Connors O’Connell, Mary Kennedy O’Connell, Colleen Sullivan O’Connell, Sophie Elizabeth Jaeger, James Dennis Burke and Connor Kennedy Burke. She is survived by one brother, Jerome Kennedy and his wife Charlotte of West Hartford, her sisters Margaret Samolyk and her husband Edward of Windsor and Eleanore DeMaio of Milton, Massachusetts. She was predeceased by six brothers: Lt. Col. Maurice Kennedy, Richard Kennedy, John David Kennedy, Philip J. Kennedy, Justin P. Kennedy and Ralph C. Kennedy. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law George and Susan O’Connell of East Hartford and their children. She also leaves 44 nieces and nephews. She leaves her best friend Verna. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Wednesday (June 5) from 5:00-7:00pm. The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated Thursday (June 6) at 10:00am in the Church of St. Mary Star of the Sea, Unionville followed by burial in St. Mary Cemetery, Avon. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Justin’s Church, 230 Blue Hills Ave., Hartford, CT 06112.