Margaret Murphy Pettit, 90, Died; “She was THE Good Will Ambassador!”
Margaret Murphy Pettit (Peggy, Maggie, Mom, Nanny) of Naples, FL, Westport, CT and Scituate, MA, age 90 passed away peacefully with loving family by her side.
Peggy was married to her high school sweetheart, best friend, and love of her life, Ray (Moose) Pettit for 64 years. She was born in Waterbury, CT to Margaret (Moore) and Eugene Murphy. She attended school in Waterbury, was President of her class at Waterbury Catholic High School, and attended Post College.
She was the loving and proud mother of five: Stephen (who predeceased her in 2004) (Beverly) Pettit, Chesterfield, MO, Linda (John) Barbosa, Brookfield CT, Susan (Joe) Colasurdo, Westport CT, Eileen (AnneMarie) Pettit, Naples, FL, and Kathleen Pettit, Scituate MA and Naples, FL. Also survived by eight grandchildren: Tom (Lynze) Pettit, Jennifer (Brett) Woodis, Michael (Haydee) Pettit, Meghan (Peter) Salonia, Laura (Ben) Young, Conor (Carolyn) Colasurdo, Casey (Jessica) Colasurdo, and Chase Pettit Colasurdo. Peggy was also the Great Grandmother to eleven. She leaves a sister, Evelyn (Roland) LaPerriere, a brother-in-law, Reverend Joseph Pettit, and several beloved nieces and nephews.
Peggy was active in many charitable organizations throughout the years while raising her five children. Ray's career took them to homes in New York and Connecticut. She was the Chair of the American Red Cross Motor Services of Schenectady, NY, as well as serving as Chair of the Corporate Gifts for the United Way of Schenectady. She was selected as Volunteer of The Year by the American Red Cross of Syracuse, NY. Peggy taught religious education in Syracuse, NY, and Weston, CT. She also served as Vice-Chair of the Norwalk (CT) Hospital Gift Shop for over 10 years.
Peggy and Ray were philanthropists to many charities, most notably Naples Hospital Heart Institute, Norwalk (CT) Hospital, St Mary's Hospital (Waterbury, CT), St Raphael's Hospital (New Haven, CT), ST Louis University High School, Bucknell University, and Stonehill College. She was honored to be named a Lifetime Medical Diplomat of Naples Community Hospital Healthcare System.
Her greatest joy was having her family together.......and of course making reservations! Peggy loved traveling and was fortunate to see much of the world with Ray's career taking them to many countries across the globe. She was THE Good Will Ambassador! She loved playing golf with her wonderful friends of the 9-hole ladies' group at Royal Poinciana Golf Club (Naples, FL) and The Country Club of Waterbury (CT). She also enjoyed modeling in the Royal Poinciana Annual Fashion Show and participating in many activities at the Naples Yacht Club.
Arrangements - Visitation for Mrs. Pettit will be held on Sunday, July 10, 2022, from 4 to 6 pm at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire, 615 S. Main St. On Monday morning her funeral procession will leave the funeral home at 9:15 am and proceed to St. Bridget of Sweden Parish - St. Bridget Church for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am. Entombment will follow in the Queen of Peace Mausoleum in Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Tunnels to Towers Foundation, a charity very close to her heart, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306. For online condolences, to share a photo or a story, please visit www.fordfh.com.
Walton “Walt” Amey, 69, Died; Staples, Ithaca Grad; Musician
February 1, 1953 - July 3, 2022
The thing that made Walton "Walt" "Wallybill" Amey happiest was music. And with music, Walt made everybody else happy too.
The first time we ever saw him with his wild red hair and goatee, it was in our Hilliard dorm lobby at Ithaca College back in '71. He was playing Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Helplessly Hoping" on his acoustic guitar while singing the (hard!) middle part of the song's 3-part harmony with his naturally great baritone. His over-the-top enthusiasm was genuinely infectious. And you could tell the guy was happy. So, the other night, and although his hair and beard had turned wild gray in the ensuing 51 years, it was a joy to join him just as happily playing that very same song on his guitar... right up until just a few hours before he so tragically, unexpectedly, and suddenly died in the early hours of Sunday, July 3rd.
Now, don't get me wrong. It wasn't that that was the only song Walt knew. In fact, he knew thousands of songs. From Elvis to Dan Hicks to Leon Redbone to Steely Dan. He happily played them all his life because, well, music was his life's passion. And because he wanted to share this love with others, Walt got many reluctant music lovers to sing out ... and the unwary were likely to be cornered for an exciting lesson in music theory.
Walt was already singing in the Orphenians Choir and lead parts in Staples High School theatrical productions in his hometown of Westport, CT as a teenager. His high school band, Tribe, was better than some of the bands at Woodstock, no kidding. Then, at Ithaca College (where he majored in music/theater), Walt was playing with his high school pal, Brian Keane (who became a well-known guitarist and composer), when we first saw him in the Hilliard dorm lobby. I'm pretty sure the only reason they let me later join them in (the deservedly short-lived band) Bub Fuf & Jigs, was because I had a car with a trunk big enough to fit all the amps.
But the best was yet to come. For, despite the fact that Walt always hated the group's name (and was constantly in search of a better one), he next went on to lead Desperado, Ithaca's most beloved band. With Walt as dryly comic band leader and M.C., (he used to gleefully horrify audiences by "accidentally" dropping his "best" guitar in the middle of a soulful ballad) and the ridiculously talented Doug Robinson, Jeff Dowd and Carolee Goodgold beside him, Desperado made many people happy for a pretty long time. They even made a couple of pretty good albums: Desperado and Out on a Limb. (If you're lucky, I think you can still find them on eBay!) Walt's wedding bands played tons of happy weddings too.
Not surprisingly, like many working musicians before him, Walt liked the occasional vodka-tonic and never got out of bed before noon... unless it was to play tennis with his buddies in Greg Chapin's tennis club in Syracuse... guys who still loved Walt despite the fact that he regularly defeated them on court with his devious drop-shots, etc. (Walt was so competitive that - although his tennis record against me was 957 to 3 - it really annoyed him that I had somehow managed to win at all.)
Another thing that made Walt happy was the laugh of a good woman. And around 2008, Walt found one when I artfully reconnected him with Elizabeth Schenck, a thoroughly delightful gal we all knew back in college. She made Walt very happy... and he made Elizabeth very happy too. She turned him on to her Virginia friends (who Walt humorously called: "the naked communists") and they exuberantly embraced him too. They all happily went camping and sang at festivals and, I've heard, drank more vodka.
Walt and Elizabeth also grew to love our beach house in Atlantique, Fire Island, New York, where Walt - for some reason -- agreed to play in our dubious local band, appropriately named: The Disappointments. A rare character with a devilish Irish charm in his DNA, Walt made everyone here happy too. He came often and, sadly, this is also where he and Elizabeth were when he so suddenly left us forever to sing and play rhythm guitar for the big band in the sky. But at least he was surrounded by grand old friends playing guitars, laughing, and, yes, having the occasional cocktail. Our great friend, Wallybill, was happy right to the end. If you have to go, I'm hard-pressed to think of a better way.
Walt leaves behind his big sister, Margaret Smith, and her husband, Chuck, out in Des Moines, along with their two kids Caro (Colleen) and David (Nikki). He leaves behind his devoted Elizabeth, and her son, Emrys Juniper. And he leaves behind all his many musician pals, tennis pals, camping pals, his adorable pooches, all the couples that were fortunate enough to have had him play at their weddings, and all our loyal band of "Hilliard Hummers" from the historically under-achieving Ithaca Class of '75.
Walt always used to say: "Good is good." He was talking about music, mainly, but I think he was also really talking about life. He knew what was good when he had it and, thanks to everyone mentioned above (and many more), he had it. A lot.
And because he was so good at making everyone happy, I'm pretty sure people will happily be telling Walt stories for as long as we still have old Desperado albums for sale... which is to say, for a very long time to come.
Well, that's about it. In lieu of sending flowers, just put on some good music, find a bottle of vodka, and pour one out for Walt.
- Stephen "Schnitz" "STEVE" Schneider
Ruth Garvey Horger, 71, Died; Former Staples Student, “she was never dull”
Columbia, South Carolina - Ruth Garvey Horger, 71, passed away peacefully on July 2, 2022 in her home in Columbia, SC.
Ruth was born to the late Edward and Ruth Garvey and grew up in Westport, Connecticut until the family moved to Rome, Italy her senior year of high school. Upon the insistence of her mother, a native of Greensboro, NC, she chose to attend college in the South at Converse College. It was there that she met her eventual husband of 49 years, Robert R. Horger ("Bob"), while socializing at Wofford College. After college, Bob and Ruth eventually settled in Orangeburg, SC, where Bob practiced law in his family's law firm. Ruth lived most of her life in Orangeburg before moving to Columbia in more recent years.
She was fun and made friends easily and often. She was a great conversationalist and never met a stranger. Rather than talking about herself, she focused on others, inquiring about whatever she knew was important to whom she was speaking. She could charm anyone who crossed her path. Her unique ability to speak her mind without (often) offending was refreshing to others and she was never dull. She loved people and the riches in her life were the many friendships she developed. Never one to spend too much time idle, Ruth always stayed busy. She acted as the ultimate chief executive officer of her household. No one was more organized or ran a tighter ship. Although she did not enjoy cooking all the time, she was known for her resourcefulness in procuring the best food for any occasion. Additionally, she was an avid exerciser all of her life and rarely missed a day. Passersby always commented on how fast she walked around the neighborhood. Both in exercise and in life generally, she loathed being forced to slow down.
One of her greatest joys was spending time with her two granddaughters. She was blessed to see them often and she enjoyed every moment in their company. She excelled at planning trips and travelled extensively throughout her life. However, she was happiest on Hilton Head Island with her family and her beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel nearby.
Ruth is survived by her husband, Bob; daughter, Ruth Vanstory Horger (Tim) of Columbia, SC; son, Charlton Bowen Horger II (Susie) of Columbia, SC; grandchildren; Mims and Cate Horger; brother, Patrick Garvey (Anne) of Hilton Head Island, SC; sister, Ann Olderman (Richard) of Bethesda, Maryland; and many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Ruth at The Palmetto Club in Columbia, SC on Tuesday, July 12th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. for all friends and family. Ruth wanted this occasion to be an informal gathering in celebration of her life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to SCOA Cares at 166 Stoneridge Drive #100, Columbia, SC 29210 or a charity of one's choice. The family wishes to extend special thanks to Dr. Steven Minter of SC Oncology Associates, and his staff for their excellent care and compassion. Online condolences may be expressed at www.dukesharleyfuneralhome.com or https://www.facebook.com/Dukes-Harley-Funeral-Home-and-Crematory-304968586272868
Carol Plaine Fisher, 94, Died; Westport Rotarian, Temple Israel Member
Carol Plaine Fisher, a beloved daughter, sister, stepmother, aunt, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great-grandmother died in her home in Westport, Connecticut on June 26, 2022 at the age of 94 after having successfully fought Parkinson's Disease for a decade.
Born in New York City to Alfred and Bertha Plaine on April 14, 1928, she graduated from Queens College at age 19. She worked at Little Golden Books and for a movie magazine before taking a job as acquisitions editor at Pyramid Books. At Pyramid, she developed and edited a book by Peter Max and as well as health-focused cookbooks and short biographies of 30s and 40s movie stars. Pyramid Books became, as a result of her efforts, the US publisher of bestselling author Barbara Cartland. Carol also worked as an editor at Harcourt Brace.
Her life changed in 1978, when she married longtime Westport resident Milton Fisher, an attorney, investment banker, author, and teacher of the popular "Applied Creativity" class in Staples Adult Education. She moved to Westport and together they founded Wildcat Publishing Company, where Carol brought her editorial skills and experience to bear on the publication of books including the Holocaust memoir Dry Tears, by Nehama Tec, a resistance classic which served as the basis for the film, Defiance; Who Owns What's in Your Head? by Stan Lieberstein; the novel, The Kid from Naphtali by Eytan Halaban; The Fall of Japan by William Craig; and the murder mystery, Murder Most Puzzling by Lillian Robinson.
Carol Fisher was a devoted participant in and organizer of stimulating programs at the Westport Senior Center, the Westport- Weston Arts Council, and the Westport Library. The Westport Senior Center recognized her outstanding efforts to enliven and improve the lives of seniors in Westport by giving her the "Service to Seniors Award" in February 2013.
As Executive Director of the Renee B. Fisher Foundation, Carol Fisher was instrumental in creating and sustaining initiatives including Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity (run by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven); the annual Renee B. Fisher Piano Competition (run by the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven); and the "Books for Teachers" Program that has built thousands of classroom libraries in under-resourced schools in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington (The Pequot Library in Southport, CT, where the Program began, remains the "Books for Teachers" flagship program). A great reader throughout her life, Carol Fisher was an enthusiastic member of several book clubs and a movie discussion club, and was also an avid bridge player.
She was a member of the Westport Rotary Club and a longtime member of Temple Israel. Her family was always a sustaining pleasure. She loved hosting joyful multi-generational family gatherings on Thanksgiving and Passover at her home every year, as well as month-long family reunions during summers. The last gathering she hosted coincided with her 94th birthday this year.
In addition to being the cherished wife of the late Milton Fisher, Carol Plaine Fisher was the beloved aunt of Moss Plaine, sister of the late Leonard Plaine, and sister-in-law of Gillis Plaine--all of New York; and the beloved stepmother of Shelley Fisher Fishkin, mother-in-law of James S. Fishkin, grandmother of Joseph Fishkin and Robert Fishkin (and their partners, Cary Franklin and Maya Belitski), and great- grandmother of Anna Ardith Fishkin Franklin and Simon Asher ("Sasha") Fishkin Franklin--all of California. She will also be missed by other family members including Paige and Lee Barr, David Fishkin, Jill Feinberg, Stephanie Fishkin and Rebecca Fishkin of Maryland.
A private virtual memorial service is being planned for late summer. If you are interested in attending, please email Shelley Fisher Fishkin at sfishkin@stanford.edu. Contributions in Carol's memory may be sent to the Anti-Defamation League.