Recent Death Notices From Ridgefield

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Recent death notices from Ridgefield.

Paul Mezzapelle, 91, of Ridgefield, died Nov. 5. Born in Marsala, Italy, he came to the United States at age 12 in 1948, moved from Yonkers, N.Y., to Ridgefield with his family and worked as a lithographer before retiring; he was a parishioner of St. Mary's Church. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Antoinette, three children, Dominick Mezzapelle, Catherine Peplau and Maria Ruff, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Visitation will be Nov. 11 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Kane Funeral Home, with a funeral Mass Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Church.

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Timothy Kevin Murphy, 62, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 30 in Hazel Park, Mich. A 1982 graduate of Ridgefield High School and the Culinary Institute of America, he worked as a sous chef in Massachusetts and Maine and later started his own landscape lighting company, TKM Lighting. He is survived by seven siblings. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Ridgefield.

Deborah Brandman Curry, 72, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 27. A former actor, she taught chorus and drama at Ridgefield Academy for almost 20 years. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Larry, three children, Craig Curry, Alex Curry and Samantha Nuzzi, and three grandchildren. A celebration of her life will be held Nov. 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Hope Hall at Ridgefield Academy.

Jay M. Smolin, 76, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 21 at Danbury Hospital. A CPA with business degrees from the University of Michigan, he was a partner at KPMG and in 2014 founded the tax and financial planning firm Smolin, Calbo, Davidson & Associates, now based in Shelton. He is survived by his wife, Alison, and their sons, Harry and Evan.

Grace P. Clewell, 88, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 14 after a brief illness. She worked for many years as an administrative assistant in General Electric's corporate offices and lived in Ridgefield for 54 years, where she was a member of Jesse Lee Memorial United Methodist Church. Her husband of 62 years, Douglas B. Clewell, died before her.

Helen Kitchen (McGauchie) Gemmell, 92, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 11. Born in Greenock, Scotland, she moved to the United States with her husband, James Gemmell, and raised their daughter in Rockville Centre, N.Y. Her husband of 53 years died before her; she is survived by her daughter, Linda Shepard, and three grandchildren.

Joan M. Varilla, 88, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 11. A longtime Ridgefield resident and former registered nurse, she was a member of St. Mary Church and volunteered as an assistant Girl Scout troop leader. The widow of Joseph A. Varilla, she is survived by three daughters, Tracy Varilla, Mary Jones and Jennifer Mancinelli, four grandchildren and a sister, Beverly Dufton.

Mihai Bayer, 81, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 10 at home. Born in Bucharest, Romania, he earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering and was a professor at the Politehnica University of Bucharest; he had lived in Ridgefield for 14 years. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Constantina, a daughter, Valentina Bayer, and two grandsons.

John "Gordon" Ousey, 94, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 8 at home. Born in England, he served as a medic in the Royal Air Force, came to the United States in 1961 and worked 25 years in purchasing and inventory management for Worldwide Volkswagen in Orangeburg, N.Y. A 56-year resident of Valhalla, N.Y., he and his wife, Elizabeth "Betsy" (Devine) Ousey, moved to Ridgefield this summer to be near their children, Alison and John.

Cathleen Agnes Scholastica Savery, 79, of Ridgefield, died Oct. 6 at Bethel Health Care Center. Born in Coney Island, she held administrative and managerial jobs in medical offices and financial institutions and worked at the Ridgefield Public Library; she was also an award-winning quilter. She is survived by two daughters, Cate and Carly, three grandchildren and two sisters.

Robert "Bob" DeFalco, 81, of Ridgefield, died Sept. 26. A U.S. Army Reserve veteran, he spent 20 years with USI Chemical Company and later served more than 15 years as president and chief executive officer of Ampacet Corp. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Susan, three children, Dr. Robert DeFalco Jr., Lisa DeFalco and Nicole Crawford, and four grandchildren.