Frank Richard Mori, Westporter, Died
Frank Richard Mori, of Westport, CT, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2022, in the company of loved ones. Mr. Mori graduated summa cum laude Dartmouth College and went on to earn his master's degree from Harvard Business School. Frank was a titan of industry, starting as a manager at the General Foods Company and working his way toward what would be a long and distinguished career as President and CEO of Anne Klein and CEO of Donna Karan International, where he played an instrumental role in developing the foundations of the fashion industry as it is known today. He was a philanthropic man who served on the Board of Directors of the Stride Rite Corp., Barington/Hilco Acquisition Corp., Dillards Inc., and Horizons.
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday from 4 to 8pm in the Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, Fairfield CT. Funeral services will take place on Thursday at 11am in the Funeral Home, with a reception to follow. A private interment will be held on Friday in Putnam Cemetery, Greenwich, CT. To read his complete obituary, for travel directions or to sign his online guest registry, please visit www.LeskoPolkeFuneral Home.com
Published by New York Times on Nov. 29, 2022.
Joseph Louis Veno, 96, Died; Born in Saugatuck, WWII Navy Veteran
Joseph Louis Veno passed away peacefully on November 16, 2022, at the age of 96. Joseph was born on May 10, 1926, in Saugatuck, Connecticut to Louis and Mary (Dorta) Veno and was a lifelong resident of Westport and Norwalk.
As a teen, he worked as a caddie at Longshore Country Club and enjoyed swimming in the Saugatuck River. At age seventeen, Joseph enlisted in the Navy where he served on the USS Apollo submarine tender in the Pacific during WWII. After his return from the war, Joseph met and married the love of his life, Madeline (Cenatiempo) Veno. They settled in Norwalk, Connecticut and had three sons, Louis, Joseph Jr. and Steven.
Joseph had a tireless work ethic and worked in the flooring industry as a business owner and expert installer of linoleum, tile and carpet. He later worked at St. Thomas the Apostle church in Norwalk, St. Cecilia church in Stamford and Christ & Holy Trinity church in Westport until he retired at the age of 85. He returned to Saugatuck in 1997 and lived in the same building where he had once attended elementary school. He lost his beloved wife, Madeline, twenty years ago in November 2002.
Joseph was a faithful Catholic who appreciated the simple joys of life. He enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and took great pride in their accomplishments. He loved Italian food, ice cream sundaes and baseball (the New York Mets), and kept an exceptionally clean home. He also enjoyed countless visits to Compo beach with his brother, Angelo Veno, and other friends. He maintained an active social calendar and met regularly with his friends. His sharp memory allowed him to share detailed stories from his youth well into his tenth decade, recalling Saugatuck at a time when Italian families shared a communal baking oven and kept pigs and chickens.
Joseph was predeceased by his wife, Madeline, brother Angelo and sister Ida. Joseph is survived by his sons, Louis Veno (Marlene), Joseph Veno, Jr. (Anne), Steven Veno (Sara), his sister Theresa Valentine (Richard), grandchildren Alison Larsen (Jared), Jason Veno (Lauren), Tyler Veno, Michael Veno (Kristin), Nicole Veno, Natalie Veno, Steven Veno, Jr., Brendan Veno, Christopher Veno (Courtney), and great-grandchildren Spencer, Trevor, Benjamin, Lucia and Nicholas. He is also survived by Sylvia Pack, whose companionship he was blessed with in his later years.
Friends are invited to attend a funeral service on Saturday, November 26, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 203 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT, followed by a graveside service with full military honors at 12:15 p.m. at St. John's Cemetery, 223 Richards Ave., Norwalk, CT.
The Raymond Funeral Home, 5 East Wall Street in Historic Norwalk has been entrusted with arrangements. Please visit www.norwalkfh.com to leave an online condolence.
Noelle Anastasia, 32, Died; Staples Grad, Loving Mother
Noelle Anastasia of Fairfield, formerly of Westport, passed away unexpectedly on November 16, 2022 at the age of 32, but her kind heart and bright smile will not be forgotten.
Noelle was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1989. She was the youngest daughter of Michelle and David Anastasia. She grew up in Westport and attended Westport schools. Despite the growing pains that accompany the life of a student, Noelle loved to learn, a passion that she carried into her adult life.
Noelle had many loves. As a girl at Bedford Middle School, she loved to sing in the choir. Years later as a woman, she confessed that she still loved to sing in the shower. For many years, Noelle served as an alter server for Assumption Church in Westport. Throughout her life, Noelle kept her faith close to her heart. Determined to pursue her enthusiasm for learning, she attended classes at Norwalk Community College and had planned to return to school. She loved to cook and had learned to master the talents of many professionals. It was a wonder to watch her casually prepare a meal with all the skills of a master chef.
Noelle had a kind soul and a deeply loving heart. More than anything, she loved her daughters Isabella, 5, and Ella, 3. They were the lights and loves of her life. She loved her stepson, Jesus, and was proud of all he accomplished. Her family was the cornerstone of her life, but Noelle also cared for those who needed it. She gave freely of herself, of her time and energy, to help when help was needed. This generosity of spirit did not extend only to people, but to animals as well. Noelle was known to take in more than one kitten in need of a home and add them to her family.
Preceding Noelle in death was her uncle, Robert Thompson.
Noelle is survived by her parents, David and Michelle, her husband Jesus, her sisters Denise and Nicole, her brother Steven, her nieces Michayla, Dianna, Marissa, Danniella, and Brianna, her nephews Matthew, Tyler, and Jace, as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins who are all heartbroken at the loss.
Noelle will be missed the same way she loved. Deeply.
Friends are invited to attend a funeral on Tuesday November 22, 2022 at 11:00 AM meeting directly at Assumption Church 98 Riverside Ave. Westport CT for a Mass of Christian Burial. Condolences for Noelle's family may be left on line at www.hardingfuneral.com
Mimi Dimeling Girard, 84, Died; Former Westport Teacher
Madeline (Mimi) Dimeling Girard, age 84, recently of Long Island, NY, passed away on 9/13/2022.
Mimi was born on 6/21/1938, a day she insisted meant that summer could start. This is probably how her fervent interest in plants started.
Mimi met Lucien Girard III at Penn State University where they both earned Master's degrees. They were married on September 1st, 1962 in Westport, CT where Mimi was employed as a teacher. They then started a world tour, with destinations including Morocco, Ghana, and quite a few states in the US, with longer stints in Evergreen, CO and Royal Oak, MD.
Hugs and Kisses was the first, a small puppy that Mimi tried to keep quiet while grocery shopping. There are many other tales of dog exploits including one slapstick encounter Bradshaw had with a trailing dishwasher rack hooked in his dog collar.
The chapter on Ghana, has far too many excellent stories to tell, and includes her teaching, supporting local organizations and families, designing functional kitchens that were adopted in future builds, and pushing the local wicker man with her latest grand designs.
In Royal Oak, Mimi and Lu settled down to a different type of travel - Galapagos, cross Atlantic sailing, along with the occasional kayak during the DFR with the hoards that invaded. Mimi continued to be a terror on the tennis court along with organizing the Christmas parade in St. Michaels.
Throughout these stories weaves a tangle of different plants including an oleander the dog ate (both survived), working with botanists in Ghana to find the latest catch of a rare bloom, and helping revive wayward orchids in MD.
Mimi is survived by her brother George, her two sisters Dee and Carol; two sons, Peter and his wife, Michele, of CO, and Matthew and his wife, Andrea, of NY; and five wonderful grandchildren.
Services will be held at Crown Crest Cemetery in Clearfield, PA on November 19th at 10am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Easton Garden club or to your local Red Cross.