Mary Anne (Cappe) Levandowski, 51, of Avon, passed away Wednesday, December 30th at Hartford Hospital after a multi-year battle with cancer. She will be remembered by her parents Godfrey and Mary (Magner) Cappe of Plainville, her brother John Cappe and his partner Julie Reusch of Ware, MA, her nephew Conor Cappe of Worcester, MA, and her ex-husband James Levandowski. Also left behind to grieve are many cousins, aunts, uncles and several close friends all of whom supported the family during the tough times. She was employed at United Technologies as a project manager for 25 years before having to retire due to her illness. Mary Anne was educated at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and University of Hartford. The family would also like to extend their gratitude to the Hospice staff who cared for her the last month and to Dr. W. Jeffrey Baker and his staff, especially Sheila, for the kindness and care she received. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Tuesday (Jan. 5) from 5:00-8:00pm. The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated Wednesday (Jan. 6) at 10:00am in the Church of St. Mary Star of the Sea, Unionville. Memorial gifts may be made to the Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center, 85 Retreat Ave., Hartford, CT 06106.
Evelyn Ahlberg (nee Iversen), 99, died on Saturday, December 26, 2009 in Hartford, Connecticut, surrounded by family. Evelyn was born in Greenwich in 1910. Her parents were Hans and Annine Nicolaisen Iversen from Denmark. Hans Iversen was master builder for the architect Alice Washburn. He took Evelyn dancing at New Haven dance halls regularly, but would not allow her to become a professional dancer. Evelyn raised three children with her husband Ferdinand in their home, a part of the A. F. Ahlberg & Sons Antique Shop. He died in 1942. She never remarried; she said he was the love of her life.
Evelyn was a “Rosie the Riveter,” taking a job in a factory during the war and working triple shifts to support her children. Her son remembers that as a young boy he would impress his friends by getting his mother to roll up a sleeve and show off her bicep. She was a talented baker, and a terrific whistler and storyteller. Her laughter was infectious. She was an avid reader; a crossword enthusiast and she played a mean game of Scrabble. Evelyn leaves behind one sister, Ruth Wiese of Hamden, two daughters: Faye Ahlberg and Marjorie Henry of Hartford, and a son and daughter in law: Ferdinand and Jean Ahlberg of Surrey, New Hampshire. In addition, she leaves eleven grandchildren: Patricia and Gregory Schumm, Marlene Savage, Elizabeth, Faye and Emily Hess, Hannah Henry, Lisa Murray, Melinda Haas, and Ferdinand and Nils Ahlberg, nineteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her sister Helen Forselius and her brothers, Paul, Arthur and Harry Iversen.
Evelyn made every member of her family feel important and loved; she brought light to every life she touched. Her life and loss are felt deeply. Services will be held at the Good Shepherd Church in Hartford, CT, Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. Interment will be in Hamden at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the Church of the Good Shepherd, 155 Wyllys St. 06106. Arrangements are being handled by The Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc.
John A. Roman, 83, of Unionville, beloved husband of Sophie (Parylak) Roman, passed away peacefully Saturday, December 26th. Born in Unionville, August 19th, 1926, son of the late Andrew and Mary (Dlubac) Roman, he resided in town his entire life. Prior to retiring, John was employed by Farmington Valley Fuel Co., for many years. He was a United States Army Air Corps. veteran of World War II. John was a lifetime communicant at the Church of St. Mary Star of the Sea, where he also served as an usher, was an honorary member of the Knights of Columbus Uncas Council #32, a former member of the Unionville Lions Club and the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Besides his wife of 60 years, he is survived by his daughter, Diane Mattson of Los Angeles, CA, his son, John M. Roman of Rockville, his son, Ronald Roman of Bristol and his daughter, Patricia (Roman) Bernier and her husband Philip of Terryville, and his five grandchildren, Heather, Laura, Wendy, William and Kelsey. He was predeceased by his brother, Michael Roman and his two sisters, Mary Chicos and Anne Prezch. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Wednesday (Dec. 30) from 11:00am – 12:30pm. Funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be at 12:30pm followed by the Funeral Liturgy in the Church of St. Mary Star of the Sea, Unionville at 1:00pm. Burial with full military honors will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Avon.
Francis Foster Quigley, 93, of Main Street, Farmington, passed away peacefully on Christmas Day with the loving care of his family by his side in the comfort of his own home. Francis lived a remarkably healthy 93 years, just only becoming ill in September. Born September 12, 1916 in New Britain, he lived all of his life on Main Street. Francis was the only child of Frank J. Quigley and Mary Foster Quigley. During the Great Depression, they had a small family farm. He was an avid painter and artist, loved playing the organ and piano, building and restoring bicycles, and enjoyed working on his antique cars, which he continued to drive at the age of 93. He was a 1932 graduate of Farmington High School, served WWII in the 13th Army/Air Force of the 307th Bombardment Group with the “Long Rangers” Air Force Heavy Bomber Group serving in the South Pacific, and was very proud of his service to our country. Francis worked at Colt Firearms, Ingraham Clock Company, Superior Electric, retiring in 1980 from New Departure Hyatt in Bristol. Francis greatly enjoyed serving as a Docent for the Day Lewis Indian Museum, and had a clear memory of historical and local town history right up to his passing. Francis was a lifelong member of the VFW of Plainville and the DAV in Bristol. Francis was predeceased by his beloved wife, Fernande (Nan) Goulet Quigley in 2003, and his son, Brian F. Quigley in 1988. He leaves his loving family, son and daughter-in-law, Allen T. Quigley and Deborah Broderick Quigley of Farmington, granddaughter Karen Quigley and her husband, Jason Stumpf of East Hartford, grandson Allen F. Quigley of Austin, Texas, and cousins Mary Thomas Aube of East Hartford and Linda Thomas Ackerman of Richmond, VA. The family gratefully wishes to give sincerest thanks to the Farmington Valley VNA and hospice staff for their superb care and professionalism. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Tuesday (Dec. 29) from 4:00-8:00pm. Funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be Wednesday (Dec.30) at 9:15am followed by the Funeral Liturgy in the Church of St. Patrick, 110 Main St., Farmington at 10:00am. Burial will be in the family plot at St. Joseph Cemetery, Plainville with full military honors.
Claire H. Scapellati died peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, in Duxbury, MA. Born in Brooklyn, NY, to the late Mary (LaGreca) and Calvin Picone, Claire graduated from Central Connecticut State College where she met her husband, the late Nicholas Daniel Scapellati. While teaching at Sunset Ridge School in East Hartford, she received her Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of Hartford. Claire and Nick married and moved to Bloomfield, CT. When their children were all of school age, Claire returned to teaching at Sacred Heart School in Bloomfield. Four years later, in addition to her role as teacher, Claire was appointed school principal, becoming the first lay principal in the Archdiocese of Hartford. After 18 years as teacher and principal, Claire retired, but her retirement was short-lived as she was asked to teach at St. Mary’s School in Simsbury. Claire taught at St. Mary’s until she officially retired and moved to Orleans, MA. Claire loved to travel – especially to Italy, was an avid gardener, a great cook, and a talented watercolor artist. Soon after moving to Orleans, she began exhibiting her work in galleries on the Lower Cape and in Duxbury, MA. A devout Catholic, Claire lived her faith in all she did, never doubting God’s presence in her life. She touched countless lives through her love, selflessness, and joy-filled heart, and she will be dearly missed by her family and those closest to her. In addition to her parents and husband, Claire was predeceased by her sisters, Norma Negron and Dianne Pignato. She is survived by her children, Joanne Protasewich and her husband, Ron, of Duxbury, MA, Daniel Scapellati and his wife, Nancy, of Avon, CT, and Lisa Scapellati of Orleans, MA, and her grandchildren, Danielle Hugill, Mike, Tom, and Chris Protasewich, Nicole, Jennifer, and Maggie Scapellati, and Nicole O’Leary. She is also survived by her sisters, Marie Durney, Gloria Bryan, and Anne Marie Picone. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville, CT on Monday, Dec. 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. Funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be Tuesday (Dec. 29) at 9:15 a.m. followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in the Church of St. Ann, 289 Arch Road, Avon, CT. Burial will follow in the family plot at Mountain View Cemetery, Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in Claire’s memory may be made to St. Anne-Immaculate Conception Church (Soup Kitchen), 820 Park Street, Hartford, CT 06106, or to A Woman’s Concern, 48 Camp Street, Hyannis, MA 02601.
Christopher Shawn Knibbs, 26, of Unionville, passed away Wednesday, December 23rd. Christopher was born December 13th 1983 to Deborah and Edward Knibbs. He spent his life in and around Connecticut touching many people along the way. He was always involved in some type of sport or social event. He played baseball, basketball, and hockey, and was a huge fan of the gym. Chris had a unique talent for helping people. He was always willing to lend a helping hand and held his friends very close to his heart including those who passed before him. Chris is survived by his mother Deborah, father Edward (Skip), brother Mark, maternal grandmother Dorothy Betti, paternal grandmother Donna Jamul and paternal grandfather Edward Knibbs. He leaves behind an incredible group of friends and family, his cousin Andrew Holt, good friends: Belinda Freake, Crystal Justynski , JP Petroski, and his girlfriend Lorraine Prigione. He was a person who was easy to love, hard to dislike, fun to be around. Chris was loved by many and will be missed by all. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville TODAY from 6:00-8:00pm. Funeral Services will be held in The Ahern Funeral Home on Monday (Dec. 28) at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Stella Dudecz, 92, of Farmington, passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 15th. Born in Hartford, July 31st, 1917, daughter of the late Samuel and Tessie (Kudnick) Dudecz. Prior to retiring, she was employed at Veeder-Root Company and Pratt and Whitney for many years. Stella travelled extensively with her sister Anna. She is survived by her two brothers, Joseph Dudecz and Stephen Dudecz both of Farmington, her niece, Kristine D. Green and her husband Gary D. Green Jr., of Farmington, her nephew, Stephen W. Dudecz and his wife Julie of Simi Valley, CA, her great nephews and nieces, Andrew and Matthew Green and Katelyn and Kylee Dudecz. She was predeceased by her two sisters, Caroline Dudecz and Anna Dudecz, her brother, William Dudecz and her sister-in-law, Adrienne (Cowles) Dudecz. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Farmington Valley VNA, Companions and Homemakers, and the staff at Amberwoods for the care given to Stella. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Thursday (Dec. 17) from 5:00-7:00pm. Funeral services will be held Friday (Dec. 18) at 10:00am in The Ahern Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society, Southern New England Region, 825 Brook St., 1-91 Tech Center, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.
Harry Wearne, 100, of Avon, husband of the late Lillian (Stevens) Wearne, passed away peacefully Sunday, December 13th. Harry was born February 16th, 1909, in Newton, New Jersey, the 2nd oldest with three sisters and one brother. As a boy, Harry was busy collecting eggs, delivering papers, selling candy, building sand tees as a golf caddy and creating art at his school for holiday decorations. Harry loved music throughout his life from early high school until his death. He worked through college and architectural school at Columbia University touring the country and internationally with his dance band – the Columba Blue Lions. He was an engineering assistant for the construction of the 8th Avenue subway in NYC. After college Harry married Lillian Stevens of Rockaway, N.J. and moved to NYC. During the depression, Harry went to work for the Shell Oil Company and stayed until his retirement in 1969. Harry and Lillian lived in Farmington Woods for 25 years and traveled frequently. He last played golf at 96. He has continued to enjoy his family, the New York Times, new and old friends and his Martini. He is survived by his sister Edythe Carlyon of Summerfield FL, his daughters and sons-in-law, Sarah and Leslie Lewis of Ames, IA and Nancy and Richard Murphy of West Simsbury, CT, six grandchildren Kate Lewis, Brian Murphy, Maggie Lewis, Stephen Murphy, Laura Kelly, and Kassie Murphy and five great grandchildren. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Wednesday (Dec. 16) from 6:00-8:00pm. A Celebration of his life will be held on Friday (Dec. 18) at 2:00pm in the Memorial United Methodist Church, 867 West Avon Rd., Avon. Any remembrances should be directed to The Salvation Army, 855 Asylum Ave., Hartford, CT 06105 or to UNICEF, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038.
Mary Rose Fiore, 82, of Wallingford, formerly of Burlington, beloved wife of Carl Fiore, Ph.D., passed away peacefully Thursday, December 10th. She was born in Highbridge, New York, daughter of the late William H. and Irene (English) Gurnee. She graduated from The College of Mount St. Vincent in Riverdale, New York and went to grad school at Fordham University where she earned a Master’s degree. Mary Rose was a professor of Biology at several different colleges in New York City. She and her family traveled extensively. In later years, Mary Rose became involved in Tai Chi and Yoga and taught a class at their retirement village (Ashlar Village) in Wallingford. Besides her husband, she is survived by her six nieces, Laura, Claire, Robin, Carolyn, Debra and Felicia, her four nephews, Graham, Rev. William Gurnee, Michael and Lawrence. She was predeceased by her brother, William H. Gurnee. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Tuesday (Dec. 15) from 9:30-10:30am. Funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be Tuesday at 10:30am followed by the Funeral Liturgy in the Church of St. Patrick, Rt. 4, Burlington at 11:00am. Burial will be in St. Patrick Cemetery, Burlington. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Dr., P.O. Box 5022, Wallingford, CT 06492 or to the American Cancer Society, Southern New England Region, 825 Brook St., 1-91 Tech Center, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.
Bridget Ahern Wheeler, 64, of West Hartford, beloved wife of Michael A. Wheeler, passed away peacefully Wednesday, December 9th. Born in Tullig (Killorglin) County Kerry, Ireland, May 13, 1945, eldest child of the late Jack and Siobhan (Riordan) Ahern, Bridget emigrated from her parent’s small farm to Hartford at age sixteen where she resided with her aunt and uncle, Dennis and Eileen Gallivan. During her first year in the United States, Bridget worked at The Travelers Insurance Company. The following year, 1962, she was accepted at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing where she earned her RN in 1965. Bridget worked at St. Francis Hospital as a critical care nurse and later joined the faculty of the St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing. In August 1969, she joined the 8th voyage of the U.S.S. Hope and sailed to Tunis, Tunisia, where she used her French language skills to teach Tunisian students. After leaving Project Hope, Bridget studied for and earned a BA from the University of Hartford in 1974, and earned a MSN from the University of Connecticut in 1987. Since 1995, Bridget served as Vice President for Patient Care Services at New Britain General Hospital, now known as The Hospital of Central Connecticut. Bridget is survived by her husband, Michael A. Wheeler, her daughter, Siobhan M. Wheeler of Boston, MA, her son Brendan M. Wheeler and his wife Gina E. Reynolds-Wheeler formerly of Washington, DC, now residing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Bridget is also survived by her four sisters, Joan Murphy of County Cork, Ireland, Eileen O’Donoghue, Noreen Ahern and Gretta Ahern all of County Kerry, Ireland; her brother, Michael C. Ahern of County, Kerry, Ireland; her mother-in-law, Gertrude F. Wheeler of Farmington; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Sunday (Dec. 13th) from 3:00-7:00pm. The funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be Monday (Dec. 14th) at 9:15am, followed by the Funeral Liturgy in St. Peter Claver Church, 47 Pleasant St., West Hartford. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Hospital of Central Connecticut for Nursing Education, C/O Development Office, 100 Grand Street, New Britain, CT 06050.