Cheshire Death Notices: Feb. 5 Through Feb. 14, 2026

CHESHIRE, CT — Below are recent death notices from Cheshire.

Leo Pierre Lavallee III, 66, died Feb. 5, 2026. He was a music educator, administrator and multi-instrumentalist who served as music director at St. Bridget’s and St. Thomas Becket churches, taught at Nonnewaug and led bands at Terryville High School, later becoming assistant principal at Thomas Edison Middle School, principal of Lincoln Middle School, the Educational Center for the Arts and Waterbury Arts Magnet School, directed the Cheshire Community Band and Chorus, and pursued songwriting in Nashville while organizing open mics and opportunities for local musicians.

Clare Dorothea McMahon Bernard, 83, died Feb. 6, was a career educator and language scholar who taught German, English, Latin and French, served as a high school vice principal, studied German at Albertus Magnus College, Middlebury College, the University of New York at Buffalo, Albany and the University of Göttingen, was a doctoral fellow at Bryn Mawr College, earned a Fulbright travel grant to study museums in Hanover, Germany, worked more than 30 years as a Mary Kay beauty consultant, and pursued theatre, tap dancing, folk dancing, choir singing and language studies.

Richard C. Guerrera, 71, died Feb. 7, 2026. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1972–1975 in Norfolk and Newport, later worked for the Town of Cheshire Public Works Department, and in retirement focused on gardening and meticulous lawn care, cooking and baking, playing SetBack and other card games, caring for pets, traveling, and socializing with neighbors and friends.

Lilja (Mustonen) Bradford, 94, died Feb. 7, 2026. She worked as an elementary school aide in Cheshire elementary schools, answering service operator and probate court clerk, and enjoyed conversation, reading, and church activities shaped by her Christian faith.

Alan “Duke” Sward, 97, died Feb. 12, 2026. An Army veteran who worked as a healthcare administrator and teacher, he earned degrees at DePauw University, and spent retirement years in North Carolina and later at Elim Park.

William “Willie” Kacynski, 71, died Feb. 14, 2026. He was a carpenter and painter who later spent 25 years in facilities for the Town of Cheshire Education Department, where he was known for his reliability, dedication, and steady presence, and volunteered on the chain crew for Cheshire Rams football games.