K.Shirley O’Connor
K. Shirley O’Connor, age 96, a resident of Stamford, CT passed away on Wednesday, July 6th, 2022, surrounded by her family. Shirley was born on December 13th, 1925 in Elmira, New York, the daughter of the late Elbert Madigan and Marie (Mack) Madigan.
She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in 1943.
Shirley worked for Pitney Bowes for over 55 years, headed the mail department, was a longtime member of the Oval Club, and was past president of BPW, CT Branch. She was actively involved with her Pitney Bowes events and truly loved the time and friends she made over the years. She enjoyed socializing with family and friends at Helens Lunchette and Tripps Restaurant. Shirley loved to get out in life and would tell you to follow her lead, take that road trip, get on that plane, and relax with a Cosmo Martini.
Shirley is survived by her daughter Linda and Son-in-law John Oyster, her four granddaughters, Jill (Carmine) Tomas, Jennifer (Daniel) Rokicki, Erin (Michael) Sapia, and Katie (Adam) DeSalvo, and her six great-grandchildren whom she adored, Luke, Olivia, Abigail, Claire, Declan, and Liam. She is also survived by her sister Mary Judge of Stamford, Sister-In-Law Patricia Flannery, many cherished nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and friends.
Shirley is predeceased by her husband William O’Connor, and siblings Jean Gale, and Lorriane Carlson.
A funeral procession will be leaving the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford on Monday, July 11, 2022 at 9:20 AM for a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM at St Maurice RC Church, 358 Glenbrook Rd, Stamford. Interment will follow at Queen of Peace Cemetery, Rockrimmon Road, Stamford. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday, July 10, 2022 from 3:00-6:00 PM.
To leave an online condolence, please visit www.cognetta.com
Shirley would remind you to always go on adventures, be young at heart, eat out often and treat yourself to a nice manicure once in a while.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to America’s Vetdogs, 371 East Main St. Smithtown, NY 11787.
The family wishes to thank Stamford Hospital, Waveny Rehab, and Bridget Associates for all their care, love, and support.
Rose Santorella
Rose Truglia Santorella, a lifelong resident of Stamford, passed away peacefully at Long Ridge Post Acute Care on Saturday, July 2, 2022 with her loving family at her side. Rose was born in Stamford on May 5, 1926 and was one of five children born to the late Joseph and Theresa (Adepietro) Truglia. Rose was 96 years old at the time of her passing.
Whether you called Rose Mom, Grandma, Nonni, Aunt Rose or Rosie, she was truly loved by all. She, on the other hand, affectionally called everyone “Honey”. She was happiest when someone stopped by, whether it be family or friends, but be ready for a meal, or at least coffee, and her homemade baked goods. In 2010, she was recognized by the Stamford Advocate for what her neighbors considered “Grandma’s Kitchen”. Her love, warmth and grace will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Rose was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 58 years, Frank P. Santorella, and is survived by her two sons, James J. Santorella and wife Karen and Frank A. Santorella and wife Patti; her four grandchildren, Frank Santorella, John Santorella (Anya), John Jiemback (Paige) and Tina Ruskey (Chad); 11 great grandchildren; her brothers, Anthony Truglia and Joseph Truglia; sister-in-law, Maria Santorella; and many nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.
In addition to her husband, Rose was predeceased by her sisters and brothers-in-law, Claudia and Joe Toscano and Josephine (Dolly) and Michael Dastoli; sisters-in-law, Delia Truglia and Jenny Lepore, and brother-in-law Vincent Santorella.
A wake will be held from 3pm to 7pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home, 104 Myrtle Ave., Stamford, CT 06902. A mass of Christian burial will take place on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 11am at St. Clement of Rome R.C. Church, 535 Fairfield Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902. The interment will follow mass at St. John Cemetery in Darien.
Rose’s family would like to extend a special thanks to the nurses and staff at Long Ridge Post Acute Care for their compassion and for the loving care given to Rose in the six years that she was in their care.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to the Bennett Cancer Center at www.stamfordhospitalfoundation.org/foundation/donate/ or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate.
To leave a message of condolence for the family please visit www.cognetta.com.
Daniel O’Connell
Daniel Edward O’Connell, 73, a lifelong resident of Stamford passed away on Friday, July 1, 2022 at Danbury Hospital. He was born on December 25, 1948 to the late Eugene and Lillian Dorsey O’Connell.
Daniel was a Plumber for over 30 years. First, for his Uncle and then for his final years with W.R. Johnson, both in Stamford.
My husband made an impact on everyone he met. He was gentle, kind, and funny. As a dear friend quoted “He was the Pied Piper”. Children and adults were always drawn to him. As a husband, he was caring, and always showed his unconditional love for me. I am a better person for being a part of his life. As a father, he was so proud of all of his children, near or far. They were his greatest love. As a grandfather, he loved to tell everyone about his many grandchildren. They were all special to him in different ways and he was always proud to brag about their accomplishments. As a son, he treated his mother and father with love and respect and they taught him to be an amazing man. As a brother, he loved to tell stories of growing up together and how his siblings held a large place in his heart. As a friend, I can’t put into words how special those relationships were to him. They made his life fuller and he cherished all those moments. We don’t understand the whys sometimes, so I ask everyone to hold on to what we know best, and that is to continue loving and supporting each other, and to be the beautiful human beings that you all are in his memory.
Daniel is survived by his devoted wife, Bonnie Rasile O’Connell of Stamford, his loving children, Terri Skarad and her husband Joe of Stamford, Heather Manson and her husband John of Florida, Bryan O’Connell and his wife Dacil of Arizona and Daniel O’Connell of Southbury, as well as his siblings, Eugene O’Connell , Patricia O’Connell, both of Arizona and Michael O’Connell and his wife Anja of Germany and a brother in law, Robert Bailey of West Haven. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Mikhaila, Joey, Meghan, Sarah, Emily, Natalie and Lexie and also several nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, Daniel was also predeceased by his sister Nancy Bailey.
Family and friends may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford on Monday, July 11, 2022 from 4:00-8:00 PM with a prayer service to be celebrated at 4:30 PM. Interment will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made in Daniel’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com
Mary Pilcher
Mary Queen (Burns) Pilcher passed away peacefully at her home with family by her side on June 27, 2022, at the age of 92. Born on August 5, 1929, in Loganlea, Scotland to the late Henry and Theresa Queen Burns, Mary worked in the hospitality industry in Edinburgh and London, before immigrating to the U.S. to work as a governess in Greenwich, CT. Shortly after, she met her beloved late husband, Robert Pilcher, and they built their lives together in Darien, CT for over 60 years. Mary was known for her quick wit and indomitable spirit. She had a lovely singing voice, won local singing competitions in Scotland, and never shied away from taking the stage to entertain or sing along to her favorite songs. She loved animals, fashion, and marathon shopping sessions with her life-long best friends, Mary Quinn of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the late Helen McAloon Pierce of Darien. The three were as close as sisters. In addition to her parents and husband, Mary was predeceased by her siblings, Bertha, John, and Sarah. She is survived by several nephews and nieces. The family would like to thank the staff at Atria Darien, Geriatric Care Associates, and Constellation Hospice for their excellent care and support. Interment will be private. Donations may be made in Mary’s memory to a charity of individual choice supporting children or animals in need.
Raul Font
Raul Peter Font, 58 of Stamford, CT passed away unexpectedly in his home on Thursday, June 23rd. Raul was born in Stamford, CT on February 22, 1964. A lifelong resident of Stamford, Raul attended Sacred Heart School and graduated from Stamford Catholic High School in 1982.
Raul was a talented defensive end at both Wagner College and the University of New Haven. He completed his Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Bridgeport. He was also technologically savvy and worked as a Network Engineer in the early part of his career.
Raul would later graduate with a Master of Education from Fairfield University and a Master of Education Guidance Counseling from UMASS Boston. Raul then pursued his true passion of working with children as an ESL teacher and as a high school football coach. He taught, mentored, and coached many students and young athletes.
Raul loved his family, friends, students, players, dogs, the Jets and the Mets. He was funny and always the life of the party. He was a loyal friend who you could always count on.
Raul is survived by his devoted and loving mother Balbina Font, and his children Haley, Sophia, Isaiah and Ava. Raul was predeceased by his father, Raul Font. He will be missed by Duque, his beloved canine companion who was by his side until his very last day.
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, June 29th from 3pm to 7pm at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Ave., Stamford CT 06902. A mass of Christian burial will take place at 10:30am on Thursday, July 30th at Sacred Heart Church, 37 Schuyler Ave., Stamford, CT 06902.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Raul Font Memorial Scholarship via Venmo @RaulFontScholarshipFund. As a lifelong educator and mentor, a scholarship fund has been set up in the towns of Stamford and Stratford, CT in Raul’s memory.
To leave messages of condolence for the family online please visit www.cognetta.com.
Christine Chagaris
Christine Santrizos Chagaris, 58, passed away peacefully early Sunday morning, June 26, 2022 surrounded by her loving family. Her husband George never left her side as she continued to bravely battle breast cancer. She was born in New York City, NY on August 27, 1963, the only child of Nick Santrizos and the late Helen Manos Santrizos.
Christine was an avid writer, traveler, coffee-lover and self-described “NYC gal” and “General Hospital fan 4ever”. She graduated from Hood College, located in Frederick, Maryland in 1985 with a dual major in Political Science and History. After college, one of the first jobs she attained was with the United Nations. Since then, she focused on her writing career where she was an ongoing contributor to several publications, including Food & Travel, Travel Awaits, Westchester Magazine, Fairfield Parents and others. She also wrote and published two books, Igniting the Constellation, under her own name, and Trilogy, A Collection under the pen name Prudence MacGregor. Her love of writing began as a teenager, when she decided to write a letter to the world’s first test tube baby, Louise Brown, which turned them into lifelong pen pals and friends.
In 1995, Christine met her future husband George at a Young Adult League conference. Not thinking anything of it, they did not even exchange numbers. As fate would have it, a year later, they happened to bump into each other again and they’ve been together ever since. The two were married on May 24, 1997 in New York City, officiated by the late Reverend George Poulos and Reverend Robert Stephanopoulos.
On May 24, 2022, Christine and George celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They both cherished the time they had together and George finds comfort in knowing that he will be reunited with Christine some day.
Besides her father, Christine is survived by her loving husband George Chagaris, her mother-in-law, Helen Chagaris, sisters-in-law Connie Begetis (Dimitris) and Jeanette Chagaris, her nieces and nephew Katerina, Eleni and Stavros, and great-nieces. She was predeceased by her mother, Helen Santrizos.
Family and friends may call at The Church of the Archangels, 1527 Bedford Street in Stamford, CT on Wednesday, June 29 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, with a trisagion service to be held at 7:00 PM. A Funeral Service will take place on Thursday, June 30 at 11:00 AM at The Church of the Archangels, with Father Harry Pappas officiating. Interment will follow at Fairfield Memorial Park Cemetery, Oaklawn Avenue, Stamford.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, 13770 Noel Road, Suite 801889, Dallas, TX 75380, The Church of the Archangels, or The Ladies Philoptochos Society, 1527 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT 06905.
The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to assist the family with the arrangements.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com.
Antone Soares
Antone “Tone” Paul Soares, 60, of Norwalk, CT died peacefully at Stamford Hospital with family and friends on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. “Baby boy Soares” was delivered at Stamford Hospital September of 1961 at 2:37 am by Dr. Robison-Lello and weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces. Antone is predeceased by his parents Margaret S. Soares and Paul P. Soares as well as his sister Pamela J. Soares. He is survived by his sister Karla Soares Thomas and his nephew Grayson Soares Thomas of Norwalk, CT. He is also survived by many loving relatives and friends.
Antone, while a resident of Norwalk for the last decade or so, was a Stamfordite at heart. He was a product of the Stamford Public Schools and graduated from Stamford High School in 1979. Always a sports enthusiast, he played high school football and baseball after years of Pop Warner football and Babe Ruth Little League, which he also coached. And, let’s not forget he ruled the neighborhood sports scene on Sutton Drive with one of his besties, Ronnie Jones!
Antone may have stayed close to home but he did travel the area when working as a delivery driver with the old Caldor retail chain. His love for movies was put to good use at Academy Video where he enjoyed working for many years. Most recently Antone again traveled the area for Doggie Doo Not! in their bright yellow trucks. He was also a long-time member of the Stamford Elks Lodge.
These few paragraphs sum up Antone’s life in some ways but they don’t capture so much about him.
They don’t capture the quick wit and great heart hidden behind his quiet demeanor. He told horribly corny jokes, but he would regularly bring home little gifts for his nephew Grayson that showed how much Antone thought about him during the day and loved him.
They don’t capture the mischievous streak Antone had, especially when he was young. He would cheat you blind at Monopoly or lead you across town on your bike for hours, but you always had fun!
They don’t capture what a good and gentle care-taker he became to his ill mother at the end of her life.
They don’t capture how easy it was to connect to Antone and how his personality drew people in; how loyal a friend he was. He was everybody’s friend and he had friends everywhere. Hundreds of miles away, on family trips to Wisconsin and Florida people called out to him at rest stops, “Antone, is that you?” No one forgot Antone.
And today, even though we say goodbye to our brother, our uncle, our cousin, our brother-from-another-mother, or our life-long friend, we won’t forget Antone.
Jack Colello
Jack Colello, 91, of Stamford passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday, June 20, 2022 at Stamford Hospital. He was born in Stamford on February 26, 1931 to the late Frank and Philomena Corritore Colello.
Jack was a veteran, having served in the Korean War with the US Marine Corp. Jack was a member of the Teamsters Local #191 , having worked for Homestead Lumber of Stamford through the 1960’s. He then worked in the roofing and siding as well as the painting industry. He was also an avid Yankee fan.
Jack is survived by his devoted daughter, Lori Conklin and her husband Mickey of Stamford, his loving grandchildren, Melissa Townsend and her husband James and Candace Conklin, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, Jack was predeceased by his wife, Rosemarie A. Colello, his son, Jack A. Colello, Jr. and brothers, Anthony, Daniel, Louis, Mike and Frank, and sisters, Yetta, Mary and Rose.
A private graveside service was held at St. John’s RC Cemetery, Darien.
The family requests that donations be made in Jack’s memory to a charity of one’s choice.
The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to assist the family with the arrangements.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com