Thomas A. Werner, 80, Dies; Staples Class of 1956, “He was a very honest man.”"
Obituary Report by Frederick Rasmussen, Baltimore SunThomas A. Werner, a retired insurance executive who was active in several German-American cultural and social organizations, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Aug. 22 at his home in the Riderwood Thornleigh neighborhood. He was 80.
Shelley Arnold had known Mr. Werner since her days in the insurance business.
“Tom was just a good all-around guy and a great person,” said Ms. Arnold, who edits the German Society of Maryland Inc. newsletter. “He had a matter-of-fact manner and you always knew where you stood with him. He answered questions with one-sentence answers and that’s the way it was. He was a very honest man.”
Bernard A. Penner was both a friend of Mr. Werner’s and active in the same German societies.
“He was a very steady guy in the German community. When he said he’d show up, he showed up, and he handled his various offices with competence and detail,” recalled Mr. Penner.
Thomas Alfred Werner, son of Alfred J. Werner, an insurance executive, and his then-wife, Mercedes Will, a homemaker, was born in Baltimore and at an early age moved to Westport, Connecticut, with his mother, who had married William A. Ketchum.
After graduating in 1959 from Staples High School in Westport, he attended the University of Maryland briefly, before enlisting in 1960 in the Air Force where he was trained in repairing fighter jet electronics at Paine Air Force Base in Everett, Washington.
“A veteran of the Cuban missile crisis, he had vivid memories of loading nuclear weapons onto the planes knowing the world was on the brink of disaster,” according to a biographical profile submitted by his family.
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Discharged from the Air Force in 1964, Mr. Werner returned to Baltimore and became a trained underwriter for the Insurance Company of North America, while attending evening classes at the University of Maryland on the G.I. Bill.
After working as an underwriter for five years, he joined his father’s independent agency, the Werner Insurance Agency, and after it was sold, he established his own agency in Towson in 1984, Werner Agency Ltd., of which he was president. It specialized in high-risk insurance that resulted in forming a professional relationship with underwriters at Lloyd’s of London.
Mr. Werner retired in 2006.
He was a lifelong lover of the outdoors and physical activity, and as a Boy Scout in Connecticut, he earned the Order of the Arrow, which is granted only after a scout passes what’s known as “The Ordeal,” where he was involved in near-solo camping, given only minimal food and was required to maintain silence for three days while performing camp service projects.
The result of this experience developed into a lifelong interest in Native American history and folklore.
As an adult, he hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail in seven states, logging 300 miles that included the Smokies in North Carolina and New Hampshire’s White Mountains, with Mount Madison as one of his fondest hiking memories.
Family members said he passed along his love of hiking, camping, canoeing and skiing to his three children, and when his son joined Boy Scout Troop 341 in Towson, it renewed his interest in scouting. He served on the troop committee as treasurer and assisted in troop activities and outings.
A life-changing event occurred in 1988 when Mr. Werner traveled to Augsburg, Germany, to meet his first grandchild and ski the Swiss and Austrian Alps. Unable to speak German and relying on his son, he was determined to learn the language.
Later that year, he took German language classes at the Baltimore Kickers, a soccer club that was founded in 1953, and in addition to soccer, also promotes German culture and language.
“He learned a smattering of German, an appreciation of German beer and the meaning of gemutlichkeit,” according to the biographical profile, referring to the German word for friendliness.
Being a Kicker member led Mr. Werner to travel to Germany with the team, and he worked at the Kickers’ bratwurst and beer stand at the Maryland German Festival, where he was in charge of handling the money.
His expanded role including serving on the organization’s ’ board, mainly in a financial capacity, and for his work, he was made an honorary lifetime member of the Baltimore Kickers.
From 2006 to 2010, he served as president of the Deutschamerikanischer Burgereverein von Maryland Inc., which is the umbrella organization for area German clubs and sponsor of the annual Maryland German Festival that for years was held at Carroll Park in Southwest Baltimore.
In his first year as president, Mr. Werner moved the festival from its former home to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, which offered a larger venue and more convenient parking, and during his tenure as president had been responsible for overseeing four festivals.
After leaving office, he continued to serve as vice president, treasurer and director, and was still holding Zoom meetings this spring and summer for the festival that was held in early July.
Mr. Werner had also held two terms as president of Club Fidelitas Inc., a Baltimore German cultural organization, and the German Society of Maryland Inc., which honored him in 2018 with their Distinguished Service Award. He was also a member of the Edelweiss Club and the society of the History of Germans in Maryland.
“Tom certainly left his footprint in the German community,” Ms. Arnold said.
Dottie Kirchner, former president of the Deutschamerikanischer Burgereverein, knew and worked with Mr. Werner for more than 35 years.
“Tom never shirked from anything they asked him to do. When we moved from Carroll Park to Timonium, he handled all the contracts and made sure everything was set up the right way,. He was a no-nonsense person when it came to doing that. It was a big miss when he decided to retire for health reasons. He could no longer be outside in the heat and we said, ‘Sit inside and we’ll bring you our questions and problems’. He was always a soothing source.”
“Once he got his brain around a concept that he thought was important, he stuck with it. He fit right into that milieu,” Mr. Penner said. “Another side to Tom was his interest in medieval German history. He was a constant in the German community and he’s going to be missed.”
Because of his work, Mr. Werner was invited to attend German Embassy functions in Washington, D.C., including being present to hear German Chancellor Angela Merkel speak on the South Lawn of the White House in 2011. When Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the bill in 2013 making October German American Heritage Month in Maryland, Mr. Werner was in attendance.
“Our dad was cremated and we’re going to spread his ashes on the Appalachian Trail,” said a daughter, Jamie Walter of Easton.
Plans for a celebration-of-life gathering are incomplete.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Werner is survived by his life partner of 38 years, Kay Schneck of Thornleigh; a son, Alfred Thomas Werner of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; another daughter, Wendi Alexi Werner of Everett, Washington; two sisters, Joan Clark of Timonium and Beverly Ketchum of Florida; and five grandchildren. A marriage to the former Lynn Sibley ended in divorce.
Robert “Bob” LeRose, 56; Owner of Bobby Q’s, “He impacted every aspect of his community”
Robert S. LeRose, 56, of Stamford, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 22 surrounded by his loved ones.
Bob was born in Greenwich, August 13, 1965 to James and Deanna LeRose. He impacted every aspect of his community in ways that will never be forgotten. From the baseball fields at Greenwich High School, to his DJ group Incognito, to Westport and Norwalk and his beloved Bobby Q's, the University of Richmond, and everywhere in between, Bob left his spark.
He started out his career at Del Monte Foods as a sales associate. From there he worked for Gallo Wines, Poland Spring and Nestle Waters, and then Velocity. Bob and his wife Kelley then opened Bobby Q's in 2004 in Westport to chase Bob's passion for community and authentic Kansas City BBQ. Over the years, the Blues Views and BBQ Festival was established, rooting from Bob's love for music.
The endless projects in between were a reflection of his desire to bring people together and that never changed, even during the toughest years of his life.
He was predeceased by his parents James and Deanna LeRose. He is survived by his high school sweetheart Kelley; his cherished daughters Alex and Meghan; his loving brothers James and Christopher, as well his loving nieces and nephews. To celebrate his life, a memorial gathering will be held from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday at COXE & GRAZIANO FUNERAL HOME, 134 Hamilton Ave. Greenwich (203) 869-5968. For more information or to place an online condolence, www.coxeandgraziano.com.
Alex “Al” Ravage, 96; Great Grandfather to 16, Former Owner of The Wine Shop on Post Road
Alex (Al) Ravage was a youthful 96 years old when he passed away peacefully, on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at The Residence at Westport, where he resided since this past April. Except for the past few months, and some time in Fairfield, Al lived most of his life in Bridgeport, including the past 21 years.
Al was born Alexander Jacob Ravitz on May 12, 1925, to parents Louis and Lena Ravitz. After a variety of different jobs, Louis and Lena opened the Star Market on Wood Avenue in Bridgeport, where Al, his older brother Phillip and his parents lived in an apartment behind the store. Al helped his parents in the store, often delivering groceries to their customers by bicycle.
Before graduating from Bassick High School in 1942, Al met his future, loving wife Estelle Gladstein, to whom he would be happily married for 72 years, from 1945 to 2017, when she passed away at age 92. Before they married, immediately following high school, Al enrolled in the United States Army at the height of World War II. Fortunately for his entire future family, Al was honorably discharged before having to risk his life in active combat.
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Al and Estelle had three children. Bruce was born one year after they married. A second son Stephen was born three years later, and their daughter Shari followed another three years after Stephen. Al was a devoted son to his parents and the finest father, grandfather and great grandfather anyone could ever have had. Al and Estelle remained very close with their children and their children's families throughout their entire lives.
In their early years of marriage, Al was a salesman, primarily for various automobile agencies, and later as a manager of a few of them. By the time the children were more grown, and had their own children, Al and Estelle owned and operated The Wine Shop in Westport, during which time the entire family became quite educated about fine wine, a tradition that has continued to this day! After selling the wine shop, Al and Estelle returned to Al's roots, opening The Finer Things, an American crafts gallery, in the store adjoining the very place where he had first lived for so many years with his parents, the former Star Market.
When Al and Estelle first opened the Finer Things, they imagined that it might be something they would do for just five years and then retire. More than 30 years later, the business was still drawing loyal customers, who would often use the excuse of needing to buy a beautiful piece of jewelry, or some other finely crafted item, just to spend time "schmoozing" with Al and Estelle, who were so loved by everyone who came to know them, sharing personal stories and often seeking their sage advice. Until just three years ago, at a spry 93 years old, Al continued to work in the store, even after Estelle was no longer there, until it closed in 2018.
When Al was still physically able, he enjoyed playing golf and bowling. He was an avid reader and was an expert pinochle player; in fact, he often said the only pinochle player better than him was his mother! Al also loved sports; he was an ardent New York Giants fan and a diehard Boston Red Sox fan. One of the sports highlights of his life as a fan was when the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in his lifetime, in 2004, when Al was 79 years old.
Al, and his wife Estelle, were also deeply involved in their son Bruce's charter school in Bridgeport; they were very influential in helping him found the school in 2005 and supported him ever since then to provide viable, quality educational opportunities for under-served youth in the local community. The contributions made to Park City Prep when Estelle died were used to enhance scholarships for deserving students to attend selective, private high schools, something Al would have wanted, as well.
In the past year, especially in the past few months, Al was less directly involved in the affairs of the school, and less able to do the things he was accustomed to doing, as his medical conditions began to limit him physically; nevertheless, whenever you would ask Al how he was doing, he would always reply, "I'm fine. I feel good!" Even if he did not feel entirely well, he would never admit that to anyone else because that is who Al was - a positive person, one who never complained, always had a smile on his face, and always looked on the bright side of things. Al was the eternal optimist and his positive attitude about everything was an inspiration and a source of strength and hope for everyone who knew him. Whenever anyone spoke of Al, whether relatives, friends, or people just meeting him for the first time, all they could say was, "He is such a nice guy!" Even during his recent decline, in and out of stints in the hospital and rehab in the nursing home, he never stopped making the nurses, therapists and other aides laugh as he would literally joke about what he was going through, such as when asked if there was anything they could get for him, he'd reply, "how about a little Scotch?!" Each time he would be discharged from these facilities, his attendants would hug him and tell him how much they will miss him. Before he was about to leave the nursing home most recently, and return to his new residence in Westport, his physical therapist came into his room to hug him and say, "I love you, Al." That's the kind of person he was.
Al is survived by his son Bruce Ravage and his wife Malvene, his daughter Shari, his daughter-in-law Lois Ravage-Mass, whose husband Stephen, Al's second son, predeceased him. Al's grandchildren Zac Ravage, Elizabeth Ravage, Erica Wright, Brett Ravage, Lindsay Ravage, Jessica Levitt and Daniel Mass, and their loving spouses, gave Al the gift of 16 great-grandchildren, who, lovingly knew him as "Pa". In his final weeks and final days, Al was blessed to spend quality time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who brought smiles to his face, even when he could no longer carry on an actual conversation.
On the headstone for Estelle (and now Al), it reads, "…a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." Nobody has ever been loved more, or by more people, than Al Ravage; he will be missed always, but loved forever.
The private funeral, held on Thursday, August 11, 2021, at the Congregation Beth El Cemetery in Fairfield, was attended by Al's closest family and friends.
Contributions in Al's memory could be made to either of the following:
1. Park City Prep Charter School in Bridgeport - Donations, payable to Park City Prep Charter School, can be mailed directly to the school or to Bruce Ravage, or made on-line
at: www.parkcityprep.networkforgood.com
2. The Stephen H. Ravage Memorial Fund at Congregation Beth El in Fairfield
Walter R. Yetnikoff, 87; A “Force” of the Music Industry
Obituary
NYTimes/Bobby Bank/WireImage photoWalter R. Yetnikoff died on Saturday, August 7, 2021, four days short of his 88th birthday.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, graduated from Columbia University Law School, and rose to become an influential force in the entertainment world as president of Columbia Records. He guided the careers of Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and Mick Jagger among others.
He leaves to mourn his wife Lynda of Westport, Ct, his sons Michael and Daniel, four grandchildren, and his sister and brother-in-law Carol and Sid Goldstein of Glastonbury. There will be a memorial service in the future and a Shiva service was held on Wednesday, August 11 at 7:30 PM at the home of Carol and Sid Goldstein. Full COVID-19 vaccinations and masks will be required.