Doolittle Funeral Home

Irene Perry Slight, 97, of Durham, wife of the late Leo H. Slight, passed away on December 3, 2024. Born in New Bedford, MA, she was the daughter of the late Manuel and Mary (Cabral) Ponte, Jr. Irene was the owner of Irene's Bakery & Delicatessen in Durham for several years. She and Leo also started L & I Distributors, later known as L & I Refrigeration, Inc., a family-run business now for sixty years. Irene was a member of the Good Sam's Club, the Durham Seniors and volunteered at Middlesex Hospital. Irene loved to travel with her husband, winter vacations in Florida, was an avid reader, knitter and a puzzle master! Above all, Irene's family was her pride and joy. Irene is...

Irene Perry Slight, 97, of Durham, wife of the late Leo H. Slight, passed away on December 3, 2024. Born in New Bedford, MA, she was the daughter of the late Manuel and Mary (Cabral) Ponte, Jr. Irene was the owner of Irene's Bakery & Delicatessen in Durham for several years. She and Leo also started L & I Distributors, later known as L & I Refrigeration, Inc., a family-run business now for sixty years. Irene was a member of the Good Sam's Club, the Durham Seniors and volunteered at Middlesex Hospital. Irene loved to travel with her husband, winter vacations in Florida, was an avid reader, knitter and a puzzle master! Above all, Irene's family was her pride and joy. Irene is...

Carolyn A. (Chwalek) Molinaro, 77, of Bristol, loving wife of the late Michael F. Molinaro, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2024, from heart failure. She was born on November 25, 1946, in Putnam, CT, to the late John and Bertha (Modliszewski) Chwalek. She was predeceased by two brothers, John and Chester Chwalek, and is survived by her beloved daughters, Beth Palladino of Southington and Kim Molinaro and her husband, Chris Strange, of West Hartford; her grandchildren, Benjamin, Jessica, Sophia and Sam; her devoted partner, Phil Frechette; six nieces and nephews; and several other dear family members and friends. Carolyn spent her early years in Thompson, CT; was a graduate of...

Carolyn A. (Chwalek) Molinaro, 77, of Bristol, loving wife of the late Michael F. Molinaro, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2024, from heart failure. She was born on November 25, 1946, in Putnam, CT, to the late John and Bertha (Modliszewski) Chwalek. She was predeceased by two brothers, John and Chester Chwalek, and is survived by her beloved daughters, Beth Palladino of Southington and Kim Molinaro and her husband, Chris Strange, of West Hartford; her grandchildren, Benjamin, Jessica, Sophia and Sam; her devoted partner, Phil Frechette; six nieces and nephews; and several other dear family members and friends. Carolyn spent her early years in Thompson, CT; was a graduate of...

Daniel Joseph Ryan, Jr., 82, beloved husband of Joan (Kellerstrass) Ryan for fifty-five years, passed away peacefully on November 10, 2024, surrounded by family at Hartford Hospital. Born in Astoria, New York on November 18, 1941, he was the son of the late Daniel, Sr. and Julia (Ducker) Ryan. Dan graduated from Holy Cross High School Class of 1959. After graduating high school, he left home to become a brother of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Education from St. Edward's University in Texas and a Master's Degree in Mathematics from Wesleyan University where he met and later married his wife, Joan. Dan dedicated his life to serving others,...

Dr. Mehadin Arafeh, 93, a respected psychiatrist and mental health administrator, died on November 6th at his home in Middletown, CT. Dr. Arafeh was widely recognized for his leadership and contributions to psychiatry, both nationally and internationally. His distinguished career in mental health was marked by dedication, compassion, and humility. He lived with integrity, always prioritizing the well-being of others. Born in Damascus, Syria in 1931, Arafeh earned his medical degree from the Syrian University School of Medicine. At 25, he continued his studies at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta; the University of Pennsylvania and Mercy-Douglas Hospital in Philadelphia; New York...

Theresa R. (Levesque) LeBlanc, 68 of Middletown, CT, cherished and devoted wife of 33 years to Robert N. LeBlanc who cared for her deeply, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 3, 2024, surrounded by family and friends following a courageous battle with several illnesses. Theresa's life was a great testament to resilience, love, and strength. Born on May 22, 1956, in Fitchburg, MA, she was the daughter of the late Olivier Ernest and Rose (Garceau) Levesque. Theresa was formerly of Hartford, Newington, New Britain and East Hampton, CT. She graduated from Newington High School class of 1974. Theresa was a dedicated employee at Energen, M.W. Robinson,...

Katherine Rita Moran Foley, forever young, departed this earth peacefully and with dignity on November 3, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. She was a woman of great integrity and undeniable style. Known as Kaye, she knew how to light up a room with her bright smile and gracious presence. Born and raised in Chester to Edward and Elizabeth (Ford) Moran, she was one of seven children born to Irish immigrants. Moving to Hartford right after graduating from Chester High School, she met the love of her life, Raymond. Married in 1950, they made Cromwell their home and raised their five children with love and laughter. She loved her years as a stay-at-home mom prior to venturing out into the...

Nancy Ann (Ciampaglia) Burgess, 91, of Middletown, wife of the late Philip B. Burgess, Jr., passed away on October 19, 2024, at Apple Rehab in Middletown after a brief illness. Born in Middletown on December 26, 1932, Nancy was the daughter of the late Carl J. and Edith (Cromwell) Ciampaglia. Nancy had lived in Middletown all her life where she attended local schools. She was employed at Teleco Oil Field Services in Meriden retiring in 1991. She is survived by her three sons, David P. Burgess and his close friend Beth of Meriden, Timothy C. Burgess of Middletown, Brad S. Burgess and his wife Monique of Middletown and two grandchildren, Zachary P. Burgess and Paige Burgess. ...

Patricia Ann (Rosello) Goldsmith, 61 of Higganum, wife of Bruce K. Goldsmith, died peacefully at home on October 11, 2024. Born in New Haven, she was the daughter of the late Modesto and Angela (Raccio) Rosello. Patricia graduated from Cheshire High School and Stone Business School. She worked for Hartford Health Care in medical billing for many years. She enjoyed walking in the meadows and all kinds of flowers. Patricia loved listening to music especially the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Besides her husband of 32 years, she is survived by two sisters, Leslie Rosello of Wallingford and Carol Bates of Las Vegas, NV and her beloved dog, Winston. Funeral services will be...

Ruth Leah (Freedman) Beit, 99, of West Palm Beach, Florida, wife of the late Sanford I. Beit, passed away on September 25, 2024, in Florida. Born in Cambridge, MA, she was the daughter of the late John and Rose (Hirshberg) Freedman. Ruth lived in Middletown since 1957 where she was a member of Congregation Adath Israel Synagogue. She also lived in West Palm Beach, FL in her later years. Ruth is survived by two sons, Roger J. Beit and his wife Sondra of South Glastonbury and David H. Beit and his wife Karin of Middletown, a sister, Annette Kisner of West Haven and two grandchildren, Jeffrey I. Beit and Elizabeth Beit. Along with her husband and parents, Ruth was predeceased by a sister...

Wallace "Wally" Wells Parris, 76, of Winsted, husband of Beverly (Hanken) Parris, passed away on September 14, 2024, at Litchfield Woods Health Care Center. Born in Winsted, he was the son of the late Wallace and Mildred (Greene) Reynolds. Wally loved camping and was a true patriot. Along with his wife, Wally is survived by his son, Jerry A. Parris and his wife Jessica; three sisters, Patricia Parris, Jacquelin Towle and Jean Massini; and three grandchildren, Cody Parris, Kaylee Parris and Eli Parris. He was also predeceased by his brother, Frederick G. Parris. A private graveside service will be held in Forest View Cemetery in Winsted. To share memories or send condolences to the...

Muriel (Griswold) Hall "Betsey", widow of Forrest G. Hall "Joe", passed away on Monday, September 2, 2024, surrounded by family. Joe and Betsey were married for 64 years. Betsey was born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1929 and moved to Durham upon her and Joe's marriage in 1951. She was very active in the Durham community. Besides being a Durham firefighters wife for over 50 years, she was a very active with the Durham Agricultural Fair Association, holding multiple positions. As a Registered Nurse, she took part in multiple vaccination clinics, including smallpox and polio clinics and worked in bloodmobile clinics as well. As an avid quilter, she chaired multiple town and church quilting...

Muriel (Griswold) Hall "Betsey", widow of Forrest G. Hall "Joe", passed away on Monday, September 2, 2024, surrounded by family. Joe and Betsey were married for 64 years. Betsey was born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1929 and moved to Durham upon her and Joe's marriage in 1951. She was very active in the Durham community. Besides being a Durham firefighters wife for over 50 years, she was a very active with the Durham Agricultural Fair Association, holding multiple positions. As a Registered Nurse, she took part in multiple vaccination clinics, including smallpox and polio clinics and worked in bloodmobile clinics as well. As an avid quilter, she chaired multiple town and church quilting...

Howard Rosenbaum, M.D., of Portland, husband of the late Sari A. Rosenbaum, passed away on August 31, 2024. His memory will live on through his loving devotion to family and friends, and his extraordinary work in the community. Born in New York, N.Y., he pursued medicine as a career, served in the Public Health Service, and had a long career as a radiologist at Middlesex Memorial Hospital, where he was a Corporator. He was committed to the Town of Portland, where he served on the Board of Education and the Board of Selectmen, in addition to being a founding member of the Brownstone Quorum and the chairman of the Gildersleeve Fund for Scholars. In 2012, he and his late wife were joint...

It is with great sadness that the family of Robert "Bob" Allen Smith announces his passing on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain, Connecticut after a valiant fight with cancer. Born in Meriden, CT, on January 11, 1952, Bob was the son of Donald E. and Edna Brooker Smith of Meriden, CT. He married Muriel Dagesse on May 4, 1974, at Saint Lawrence O'Toole Church in Hartford, CT. Bob and Muriel recently enjoyed celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends. For over 20 years, Bob worked for the Berlin Board of Education as head custodian. More recently, he enjoyed working part-time at Middletown Nissan delivering vehicles...

Diana Rose (Torres) Lippert, 91, of East Hampton, wife of the late Cecil D. Lippert, passed away on August 16, 2024, at her daughters' home. Born in White Plains, New York, she was the daughter of Antonio and Amalia (Barone) Torres. Diana lived in East Hampton for thirty years. She was active in the Senior Center in East Hampton and enjoyed volunteering in Marlborough as well. She was an avid bowler. Diana just adored her grandchildren. Diana is survived by her son Donald D. Richey of Cromwell; two daughters Deborah A. Schmaltz and her husband John of Cromwell and Doris A. Neuton and her husband Doug of Las Vegas, NV; seven grandchildren Leila Nuland (William), Lorelei Richey, Kelsey...

Walter R. Manthay, 96, died in the early morning hours of August 10, 2024 of heart failure at MidState Medical Center, Meriden,CT. A native of Middletown, CT, Walter was the youngest of five children. He is survived by his wife Janet Chadbourne Manthay; daughters, Diane M. Gentile of Middletown; Dr. Nancy M. Mackowsky and her husband, Dr. Richard Mackowsky of North Carolina; grandchildren, Heather, David, Emma and Evan. He was preceded in death by his brothers Reinhold, Theodore, Rudolph, and sister Alma. For the first thirty years of his life, Walter worked on his family's dairy farm. He was hired as a machinist at Pratt & Whitney in North Haven and worked there for the next thirty...

Albert Jay McPherson, 70, of Middletown, wife of Rosemarie (Branciforte) McPherson, passed away on August 8, 2024, at his home. Born in Houlton, Maine, he was the son of the late Thomas and Christine (Becker) McPherson. Albert lived in Cromwell and graduated from Cromwell High School Class of 1972. He was employed at Raymond Engineering which became Kaman Precision Products. He was an avid fisherman, loved camping and was a big hunting enthusiast. Albert always lived life to the fullest. Along with his wife, he was survived by two sons Jason M. McPherson and his girlfriend Debby Young of Middletown and Daniel A. McPherson and his spouse Sarah of East Hampton; and two brothers Thomas...

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Dorota M. Zak on July 29, 2024, at the age of 56. A cherished mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and devoted educator, Dorota left us unexpectedly, while in recovery from a serious accident. Born on May 11, 1968, in Olsztyn, Poland, Dorota was a vibrant soul whose life was characterized by commitment to her family and her passion for teaching. She is a graduate of the University of Warmia and Mazury in the Higher School of Education. Dorota was dedicated to educating young children, a vocation she embraced with enthusiasm and kindness. Over her 30-year career she taught hundreds of kids how to love others and how to love...

John Henry McMillan Jr. passed away 07/27/2024 surrounded by family. He was born 04/12/1948 in Ahoskie, NC to Eula Pearl (Taylor) & John H. McMillan Sr. He was predeceased by his parents and 11 siblings. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam & the Army Reserve. John is survived by beloved wife Judith McMillan & children; Angelo Watson (Linda), Krystle McMillan, Marjorie McMillan and Monique Hennessey (Stephen). Siblings; Mabel Long-Buie, Annie Doris Murchison Grafton McMillan. In-law Leslie White, 9 grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews. Funeral service to be held at The Church of the Holy Trinity in Middletown CT on 08/05/2024. Calling hours 10:30am to 11:30am, funeral...