Enlio Esposito

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Enlio A. Esposito, 94, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 6, 2024 at his home in Coconut Creek Fl. He was born in Stamford, CT on July 10, 1930 to the late Frank and Jenny Napolitano Esposito.
Enlio was a wonderful man and will be missed every day.
Enlio is survived by his loving daughters, Julie Earl, Laurie Iulo, Kelly Brewer and Gayle Brewer,
as well as two grandchildren, Jamilyn Zapata and Micheale Brewer-Bissell. He is also survived by
his sister, Jane Maikish of Stamford CT.
Besides his parents, Enlio was also predeceased by his wife Kathryn Esposito in 2010, his son
in law, Steven Earl and three brothers, Alfred, Cosmo and Louis Esposito.
Family and friends may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle
Avenue, Stamford on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 from 9:30- 10:30 AM with a Mass of
Christian Burial to be celebrated at 11:00 AM at Sacred Heart RC Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue,
Stamford. Interment will follow at St. John’s RC Cemetery, Darien.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com

Ernesto Escalante

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Known by many names, Panita, Ernie, Feo, Papá, Tío, Viejo, he was always the gentleman.
Ernesto D. Escalante, beloved husband, father, friend, and uncle, passed peacefully at his home on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, with his loving family at his side. Ernesto was born in Lima, Perú on November 29, 1933, to the late Oscar and Felicita (Cesar) Escalante. He was 90 years old at the time of his passing.
The youngest of 5 children, he was playful, full of advice, and a reader of the Bible; adored his mother; was always up to dance a salsa; and loved writing poetry. He had great memories of growing up in Lima and shared vivid stories of swimming in the River Rimac and the shenanigans he and his brother got into.
After marrying Aurea in 1965 he immigrated to the US, ready to make the most of the land of opportunity. He landed in Chickahominy, where he and Aurea raised their family. He loved being the father of daughters. He referred to his daughters as the 4 Marias, and his vanity plate read MMMME. He worked long hours to provide for his family, sending all 4 to college, something he wasn’t able to do for himself. While his heart was always in Perú, he loved his adopted country and was so proud when he became a United States citizen in 1998.
He retired from Arnold’s Bakery, where he wrote poems for co-workers when they retired. The poems were presented in a frame and translated from Spanish to English by one of his daughters. Poems were also written on birthday cards for his wife and daughters. He loved a game of dominoes and happily taught people to play so they could join him in a few rounds.
Retirement was good to him. He played tennis; made extended stays to Peru, along with a big European trip with his wife; and loved becoming a grandfather, ‘Tito’.
Ernesto is survived by his lovely wife of 59 years, Aurea Calle Escalante, who took beautiful care of him; daughters Magali Escalante and her husband Anthony Salvucci of Waltham, MA; Mabel Escalante Herson and husband George Herson of Stamford, CT; Monica Escalante and husband Daniel Raffin of Colorado Springs, CO; Margot Escalante and her husband Joshua Palmes of Stamford, CT; grandchildren Julian and Dante Salvucci; Luke and Jacob Herson; Violeta Raffin; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children.
Ernesto was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Felicita, and siblings Haydée, Felicita, Amanda, and Gregorio.
From one of his poems to his wife: “Mi Flaca se ríe a todo pulmón y mandíbula abierta porque su viejo de siempre es un imitador de la juventud. Ja! Ja!”
Wake service for Ernesto will take place on Monday, September 9th from 11AM to 12PM at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home, 104 Myrtle Avenue, in Stamford. A prayer service will begin at 12PM followed by a procession to St. John Cemetery, Darien for the committal service and interment.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Ernesto’s memory to a charitable organization of your choice.

Rosa Raus

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Rosa Lidia Tamburrino Raus, 94, of Milford, and former resident of Stamford, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. A devout Roman Catholic, Rosa lived her life with unwavering faith and devotion to her church and family. She was born in Minturno, Italy on April 12, 1930 to the late Francesco Tamburrino and Maria Grazia Orsini Tamburrino.

Rosa Lidia brought the warmth and charm of her homeland to everyone she met. She was a loving and dedicated wife and mother to eight children. A beloved grandmother to her fourteen grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren who brought her immense joy and pride, she lived for her family and was a devoted matriarch. Rosa Lidia was renowned for her incredible Italian cooking, bringing love and comfort to her family and friends through her delicious meals. She had a passion for knitting, creating beautiful blankets and gifts for her loved ones. Rosa Lidia had a remarkable green thumb, nurturing her plants and garden with care and affection. Rosa Lidia also had a deep love for animals, and she enjoyed visiting antique stores – always on the lookout for hidden treasures. She was a natural beauty and fashionista, admired by all who knew her.

Rosa Lidia is survived by her loving children: Fernanda Mallozzi and her husband Frank, Anna Maria Thomas and her husband Konstantinos, Franco Raus and his wife Angela Maria, Angelo Raus and his wife Maria Carmina, Maurice Raus and his wife Judy, Rita Raus, Robert Raus and his wife Allison, and Mary Grace Merturi and her husband Leo.
Also surviving are her precious fourteen grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews who all held a special place in her heart. Her memory will be cherished by her family, friends, and all who deeply loved her. We were all blessed to have known her – Rosa Lidia will be greatly missed.

Beside her parents, Rosa Lidia was predeceased by her husband Nazzareno Antonio Raus and her brothers and sisters in Italy.

Family and friends may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford, CT on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart RC Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford, CT. Entombment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, 399 North Street, Greenwich, CT 06830.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Rosa’s memory to Sacred Heart
RC Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902 or to St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com.

Kevin O’Leary

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Kevin Patrick O’Leary, a beloved husband, father, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, great-uncle, and friend passed away on August 22, 2024 at the Ark St. Camillus nursing home in Stamford, CT. Kevin had a rich life until he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia a few years ago. He faced the debilitating illness with great courage and as much dignity as the illness would allow.

Kevin was born on May 19, 1956 to Eileen and Cornelius O’Leary of Yonkers, NY. He married Linda Jannace on June 21, 1997 and became a father to Claire O’Leary on December 30, 1998. He is survived by his sister Eileen Greagor (Joe) of Wappingers Falls, NY; Joan Muratore of Millwood, NY; and Patricia O’Sullivan (Brian) of Peekskill, NY and was predeceased by his brother James. He will also be missed by his wife Linda’s siblings: Ginny Malara (Joe) of Waccabuc, NY; Lisa Meade (Bob) of Hillsborough, CA; Gina Jannace of Los Angeles, CA; and Jim Jannace (Catherine) of Redding, CT. He was encircled in love by all of his family and many friends.

Kevin began his education at St. Joseph’s Grammar School and later attended Sacred Heart High School. He graduated from Iona College and then began his career as a financial analyst with IBM, where he worked for over twenty years, after which he worked for several different companies. Kevin worked to earn a living, but his joy came from family, friends, running, reading, and the New York Yankees – not necessarily in that order. He watched every Yankee game possible and without him, Linda would never have learned to yell at the TV, “If you’re going to play in the majors, you gotta catch that!”

An event to celebrate Kevin’s life will be held at the Paddle Hut at Weed Beach,155 Nearwater Lane, Darien, CT on Sunday, September 1st from 1 -3 PM. Let the guard at the gatehouse know that you are there for the O’Leary Celebration of Life. Casual attire.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Kevin’s memory to either The Sterling House Community Center 2283 Main Street, Stratford, Connecticut 06615 or online at https://www.sterlinghousecc.org/ or to Sacred Heart High School, Attn: Dept. of Institutional Advancement, 34 Convent Ave., Yonkers, NY. 10703 or online https://sacredhearths.org/athletic-deptarment-summer-appeal.

To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com.

Aristotellis Bitzonis

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A longtime resident of Stamford CT, Telly passed away peacefully surrounded by family on August 22, 2024. He was born in his beloved Kalamata, Greece on March 12, 1927, to the late Angela and Dimitrios Bijonides (Bitzonis). Telly was the second of five children who grew up in Greece during WWII and the Greek Civil War and emigrated to his even more beloved, United States, in 1955 where he met and married his true love, Paraskevi (Frieda) Chafoulias Lines, on February 24, 1957, in Stamford, and they made their welcoming home in Springdale, since 1960. Paraskevi passed away on February 1, 2020 and he missed her greatly. He is survived by his daughter Angela Colarossi and son James Bitzonis, daughter- in- law Kirsten Wiese Bitzonis, grandchildren Zachary Aristotle Bitzonis, James Alexander Bitzonis, Olivia Paraskevi Bitzonis, Dominic Chaz Colarossi (Klara) and 1Lt. Aristotle James Colarossi. He is further survived by his sister Malima Fontinopoulos of Kalamata, Greece and brother Nicholas Bijonides of Tampa, FL, his brother-in-law George Lines and sister-in-law Angie Lines of Stamford and sister-in-law Helen Chochos of Norwalk. His sister Dora and brother Hercules predeceased him, as did his many Koumbaras and Koumbaros, including Harry Sentementes, with whom he enjoyed spending countless days. He was most affectionately known as Papou by all, and Theo (Uncle) Telly by his loving nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces and godchildren. He greeted everyone with a big smile and coined his own phrase “Aye, how you do?” He loved to write and tell stories and sing songs, in many different languages, and was quite the entertainer and excellent dancer. He was a generous, kind and gentle soul who was always available to help those in need and would do anything to help his family- especially Paraskevi. He was an extremely proud and patriotic man who loved to laugh and make others laugh – he could “crack you up.” He was a big sports fan and loved watching AEK, his childhood favorite Greek soccer team, and was a huge New York Yankees fan who watched or listened to every game.
Telly also had many other talents: fisherman, boat captain, carpenter, mason, mechanic, builder, toolmaker – he did it all, and retired from Pitney Bowes in 1993. He then became the family taxi driver and spent tremendous amounts of time with his grandchildren.
He was a faithful parishioner at the Church of the Archangels and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and lifetime member of the AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association). He was immensely thankful and grateful for the care given to him by Angela, James, Kirsten and Olivia. He would often say “God Bless Telly, Kalamata #1.” We cherished our times with Papou and thank God for the memories. We will miss him dearly.
May his memory be eternal.
Family and friends may call at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church at 1230 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT on Tuesday, August 27th from 9:30am to 11am, followed by the funeral service at 11am and interment at St. John’s Cemetery, Darien, CT thereafter.
Memorial donations in remembrance of Telly can be made to The Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T.org) and/or The Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org).
To leave online condolences please visit the family guestbook hosted on www.cognetta.com.

Mary DeCarlo

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Mary C. DeCarlo,98, a lifelong resident of Darien passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 22, 2024. She was born on October 24, 1925 to the late Frank and Catherine Alonzo Bianco.
Mary attended Darien Schools. She was employed by the Machlett Lab and Raytheon Company, retiring in 1988. She was married to her dear husband Alfred DeCarlo for 59 years. She and Al enjoyed retirement, especially their time in Florida during the winter months.
She is survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Besides her parents, Mary was predeceased by her husband Alfred R. DeCarlo, Sr., her son, Alfred R. DeCarlo, Jr., sisters Florence Bianco and Nancy Dorcey, brother-in-law Jack Dorcey, and nephew Peter Dorcey.
We would like to give special thanks to her caregivers, Maria Milla and Nancy O’Connell, for their exceptional dedication to Mary’s care.
Family and friends may call at the Cognetta Funeral Home at 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 29th at the Church of St. Cecilia, 1184 Newfield Avenue, Stamford. Entombment will follow at St. John’s Cemetery Mausoleum in Darien, CT.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Religious Teachers Filippini, 455 Western Ave, c/o Villa Walsh, Morristown, NJ 07960.
To leave online condolences, please visit Cognetta.com

Reverend Father James Breen

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Reverend Father James E. Breen, 98, passed away peacefully at Branford Hills Nursing Home, Branford, CT, on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Rev. Breen was born on June 6, 1926, in Bronx, NY, son of the late James and Mary O’Hare Breen.
A graduate of both Fordham University and NYU with two Master degrees, after serving as a Christian Brother for many years assisting disadvantaged youths at Lincoln Hall, Lincolndale, NY. Father Breen was ordained as a Catholic Priest on December 6,1980.
As a Pastor at Our Lady of Fatima in Wilton, CT, he retired from this position July 7, 2001 and thereafter resided as a cherished resident at the Queen of the Clergy home for retired priests, in Stamford, CT.
Rev. James is survived by his nieces, Lynne Clausen and her husband Craig of Madison, CT and Therese Breen of White Plains, NY. Also surviving are eight great nieces and nephews and many great-great nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents he was predeceased by his sister Margaret Callahan, his brother Jack Breen, three nephews, Wayne W. Callahan, Daniel Breen and John Callahan, Jr., a niece, Margaret Hanrahan, a sister in law Eileen Breen and a brother in law, John Callahan.
Reverend Breen will lie in state at St. Bridget of Ireland RC Church, 278 Strawberry Hill Ave., Stamford, CT, on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 From 9:30AM to 10:30AM with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10:30AM. Interment will follow at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury, LI.
In lieu of flowers please make memorial donations in Rev. Breen’s memory to Lincoln Hall Boy’s Haven, P.O. Box 600, Route 22, Lincolndale, NY, 10540
The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Ave., Stamford, is handling the arrangements. To leave online condolences please visit www.Cognetta.com

Wilhelmina Borromeo

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Wilhelmina Borromeo, 69, a former Stamford resident, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 in Danbury. She was born in the Philippines on October 17, 1954 to the late Enrique Borromeo and Fausta Fernandez.
She worked at the Stamford Advocate and retired as a teller manager at Wells Fargo in 2014.
Wilhelmina had a passion for baking, cooking, playing mahjong and pokeno, and most especially the lotto. She enjoyed time with family and especially her new young grandchildren.
Wilhelmina is survived by her loving children, Phillip Castañeda Jr. of Oxford and Eileen Frederick (Marcus) of Danbury, her sister, Brenda Castañeda of Danbury, and brothers, Louis Borromeo (Delia Plaza) of Yonkers, NY, and Eric Borromeo (Grace) of Ft. Myers, FL. She is also survived by her three grandchildren, Hudson Frederick, Savannah Frederick, and Mia Castañeda, bonus grandchildren, Sophia Castañeda and Adrian Frederick, and two nieces and three nephews.
Family and friends may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 from 3-7 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, August 23, 2024 at 10:00 AM at The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, 279 Atlantic Street, Stamford. Interment will be private.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com

Robert Kulis

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Robert F. Kulis, 70, a lifelong resident of Stamford, passed away on Tuesday, August 12, 2024. He was born in Stamford on August 23, 1953 to the late Anthony and Elizabeth Fortunato Kulis.
Bob was employed at Pitney Bowes for over twenty years. Bob loved music and playing the drums. His favorite rock music was Jimi Hendrix and Ginger Baker as well as other legends. He also loved the outdoors, especially skiing and hiking. He enjoyed concerts and talking to people as well as his love for his pets. He was a devoted father, stepfather and step-grandfather.
Robert is survived by his wife, Dorlene Donlon Kulis, his son, Scott Kulis and his wife Alyssa and his brother, Vinson Kulis. Also surviving is his stepmother, Lillian Kulis, as well as his stepchildren, Sheila, Kelley, Keven and Keith Belden and eight grandchildren. Robert will always be known as a patient and kind man, who gave support and love to all.
A memorial service will be celebrated at a later date. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Robert’s memory to the American Cancer Society, 38 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854
To leave online condolences, please visit www,.cognetta.com

Joan Festa

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Joan Festa, 92, a former resident of Stamford passed away peacefully on Monday, August 5, 2024. She was born in Stamford on November 26, 1931, to the late Anthony and Genevieve McGrath Festa.
Joan is survived by her sister, Margaret Festa Glifort, a nephew, Dale Glifort and great nieces, Michelle Glifort, Christina Edgerton and great nephew, Henry Glifort.
Besides her parents, Joan was predeceased by her nephew, Brian Glifort.
A graveside service will be held privately at St. Peters Cemetery, Danbury.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com