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Juan Vanicky
CORNWALL, Conn. — Juan Vanicky aka Julius, 22, of Ballyhack Road, passed away on July 17, 2024, at his family home. He was the beloved son of James and Patricia, and brother of Samihr, Efraim and Jenna.
Juan was born Nov. 22, 2001, in Belém, Brazil.
Juan graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in 2020.
He loved nature, philosophy, science, and finances, and was incredibly studious when it came to the things he was interested in. He was passionate about archery and his bow and arrow, video games, anime, and Dungeons and Dragons. He loved to bodybuild and greatly enjoyed his workout routine, and liked using his voice for singing and recording voice overs. His favorite book was “Meditations”, by Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and he was a devout believer in the word of God.
He will be remembered by his beautiful smile and the positive effect it had on everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him both personally and professionally. He lived for 90 seasons.
He is survived by his loving family. His mother and father, James and Patricia, his siblings Samihr, Efraim and Jenna, his grandmother Margaret, and his aunt and uncle, Iris and Manuel.
A memorial service will be held at the Canaan Seventh-day Adventist Church on Saturday, July 27, at 3 p.m. All other services are private.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Canaan Seventh-day Adventist Church, 7 Sand Rd., Canaan, CT 06018.
May he rest in peace.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
Oscar Theodore Fischer
LAKEVILLE — Oscar Theodore “Bud” Fischer, Jr., 98, passed away Saturday, July 13, 2024, at home in Lakeville. He was the beloved husband of Tru (Carver) Fischer with whom he was married for 73 years.
Bud was born in Poughkeepsie, on March 9, 1926, son of the late Oscar T. Fischer, Sr., and Clara Augusta (Ferguson) Fischer, and had been an area resident for most of his life before retiring to the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area in 1989.
Bud graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, a WWII U.S. Navy Veteran. In addition to working for over 30 years at Harlem Valley State Hospital in Wingdale, New York, he was a skilled electrician and provided independent services to many in the area. He was an avid golfer and celebrated bowler who loved the great outdoors, especially deep-sea fishing.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, Tru, include three children; Harold Fischer and his wife, Shirley, of Plainville, Virginia Hayes of Lakeville and partner Peter Martinson, and Charlene Fischer of Torrington. His brother, Glenn Fischer, and two sisters, Audrey Powers, and Joyce Graves; four grandchildren, Lana Holly, Troy Dean, Kyp Mitchell, and Marcus Hayes; eight great-grandchildren, Ryan “RJ” Doty, Myles Doty, Briana Mitchell, Kypp Mitchell, Kai Mitchell, Ariyanna Hayes, Markez Hayes, and Aysa Perez; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Bud was predeceased by siblings, Jane Smith, Patricia Wilson, Gwendolyn Jones, and Robert Fischer.
Services will be private. Ryan Funeral Home, Lakeville, is in care of arrangements.
The family would like to thank The Sharon Hospital Staff, Dr. Kurish, Dr. Harvey of The Smilow Cancer Center, Marcia Brown, APRN, and The VA staff at Castlepoint, New York for their kindness, and support which extended well beyond their professional responsibilities.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
Leslie Connery
KENT, Conn. — Always with a ready smile, Leslie Guy Connery loved to meet, work with, and help people from all walks of life, especially those in need. This was her focus as a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, and volunteer. Community-oriented and pragmatic, with seemingly boundless energy even into her 90’s, she thrived on serving others.
Born on Dec. 23, 1928, Leslie grew up in Binghamton, New York, in a strongly knit community of family and friends. From this deeply rooted childhood, she looked forward to adventures in the wider world. While studying at Radcliffe College, she majored in international relations with the goal of becoming a diplomat. This was excellent preparation for the life she would soon begin to lead after meeting, and then marrying, her college sweetheart and aspiring journalist, Donald S. Connery.
Just seven years later, in 1957, Don became a foreign correspondent for Time and Life magazines, and thus they began twelve whirlwind years of extensive travel and extraordinary experiences, with four children in tow, including New Delhi (1957 to 1960), Tokyo (1960 to 1962), Moscow (briefly in 1962), and London (1962 to 1968). Leslie experienced India coming into its own after centuries of colonial rule; Japan recovering from the devastation of World War II; Moscow during the Cuban Missile Crisis; and Great Britain during the time of The Beatles and swinging London. Leslie managed the household and assisted Don in his work, serving as his sounding board, advisor, and editor, making it possible for him to focus on his career and travel widely and constantly. In 1965, with all her children in school, she began three years of volunteer work with autistic children as part of a British National Health Service pilot project.
In 1968, Leslie and Don (now a freelance writer and author) settled permanently in a historic farmhouse in the small rural town of Kent, Connecticut. Leslie earned an M.A. in Special Education at Southern Connecticut College and became a state-certified teacher and the family’s primary breadwinner in 1971, when she began her 40+ year career as a special education teacher. She taught for 26 years in local public schools, helping students ages four to 16 with physical, mental, or psychological learning challenges. After retiring in 1997, she continued as a substitute teacher and then took a job as a learning skills teacher at a nearby private boarding school in 2001. She tried retiring again in 2009 but couldn’t resist signing up as a volunteer teacher in the Kent Center School’s new program for autistic children in 2010.
Wanting to do more and inspired by the remarkable Kent volunteer firefighters who saved the Connery home from destruction in a Jan. 1969 fire, Leslie decided to join the newly formed Kent ambulance squad in 1974. She became a certified emergency medical technician; however, the all-male fire department was reluctant to accept females and insisted that she first attend fire school and become a certified firefighter. Always inspired by a challenge, Leslie soon went on to become the Kent Fire Department’s first female firefighter and EMT. Thus began her 36 years of volunteer work in emergency services. As a certified EMT, she responded at any time of the day or night to as many calls as she could manage, coming to the aid of hundreds of people and helping save numerous lives. In addition, she served as chair of the regional board responsible for EMT education and training and, from 1996 to 1999, as ambulance chief. In 1999, she received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Connecticut Emergency Medical Services Councils. Leslie finally retired as an EMT in 2010 at the age of 82, likely as the oldest EMT in Connecticut at the time.
Leslie was also a member, volunteer, and choir singer in the Kent Congregational Church for over four decades. On the personal front, she loved horseback riding on local trails; knitting and sewing to create gifts for family and friends; watching Red Sox games and tennis matches; and, into her late 80s, international vacation travel with Don. Always enthusiastic and gracious hosts and devoted parents and grandparents, Leslie and Don welcomed many guests and enjoyed frequent visits from their children, grandchildren, and great-grandson, who loved spending time at the Kent family home. Leslie’s passion for EMT work inspired several of her children and grandchildren, who volunteer or work in emergency services and related fields. Almost to the end, thanks to grandson, Justin, Leslie had a scanner nearby so she could stay abreast of ongoing emergency activities in Connecticut.
Leslie passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 11 at 95 years. She is survived by her four children (Jan Connery, Eric Connery, Julie Connery-Smith, and Carol Connery), eight grandchildren (Marc, Jacob, Tyffany, Sean, Lucas, Justin, Kyle, Stuart), great-grandson (Brayden), brother (Peter Guy), sister-in-law (Barbara Guy), daughter-in-law (Jane Connery), and son-in-law (Keith Smith).
The Connery family is deeply grateful for the compassionate care and support that BrightStar Care staff and VITAS staff provided to Leslie during her final year.
A memorial service, followed by a reception, will be held on Sept. 21, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Congregational Church of Kent, 97 North Main Street, Kent CT.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kent Volunteer Fire Department Inc., 28 Maple St, Kent, CT 06757.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
John Addison Berkey III
COREA, Maine — John Addison Berkey III, who was born in Santa Barbara, California, raised in Lake Forest, Illinois, and chose to spend his retirement years in Corea, Maine, died May 6 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was 78.
Although many obituaries refer to a peaceful passing, Berkey, according to his widow, Lori Berkey, left this world “kicking and screaming. He didn’t want to go.”
That same zest for living was evident throughout his lifetime. After college he entered the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and was discharged honorably five years later with the rank of sergeant.
Berkey published art books in Wilmot, New Hampshire, under the name, “Addison House.” And, although he was not trained as an architect or interior designer, he was commissioned to design 32 homes, mostly in the Millbrook, New York, area. He also was hired to design and furnish the interiors.
He then took a weary apartment house he owned in Hudson Valley, New York, and transformed it in six months into Bullis Hall Accommodations, which contained five suites. Relais & Chateaux soon came knocking at the door of the Bangall, New York, property and added it to their collection of the most exclusive hotels and restaurants in the world.
Nine years later, Addison and Lori moved to their beloved home overlooking Corea Harbor. It was a serendipitous find. Addison was familiar with the area, saw the house, noticed a cardboard sign turned over facing the ground, and discovered it was for sale.
The couple gutted the home and turned it into something elegant yet homey with heart-stopping views of the busy fishing harbor. Their neighbors, fishermen and community members, became fast friends.
In retirement, Berkey became very skilled at gardening and cooking – a dinner party invitation was highly sought after — and was often seen bicycling around the Schoodic Peninsula, a pursuit he continued until just a few years before he passed.
He cherished his wife, his family, his friends, and his cat, the late Walter. He often said his favorite pastime was sitting on the deck overlooking the harbor with a martini in hand.
Berkey was the son of the late John Addison Berkey II and Martha Rachel Fleming. He leaves a son, John Addison Berkey IV (Larson Campbell), of Charlotte, Vermont, and, a daughter, Perrin Berkey, of Millbrook, New York; three surviving brothers, Thomas Berkey (Michelene) of Colorado, Charles Berkey of Colorado and Maine, and David Berkey (Lucinda) of Washington state, and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Patti and Mark Kaiser of Hyde Park, New York. He was predeceased by a brother, DeGraff Berkey (Debra), of Arizona. He also leaves two granddaughters, Kitter and Piper Martin, and two grandsons, Hartley and Henry Berkey, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
There will be no memorial service. His remains will be buried in Corea Cemetery. For those wishing to make a donation in his memory, please consider the Schoodic Food Pantry, P.O. Box 173, Corea, ME 04624, and/or Pals, 7110 Republic Airport St., No. 202, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735.
