Robert H. “Bob” Sammis, 89, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, died Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at Abington-Lansdale Hospital. He was the husband of the late Joyce E. (Miller) Sammis.

After graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan College and completing his military service, Mr. Sammis began a lifelong career in finance. Initially on Wall Street as a security analyst after completing advanced programs with the New York Institute of Finance and then as a broker and manager with a regional NYSE member firm in the greater Bridgeport area. He then moved on to become the first Trust Investment Officer for the original Connecticut National Bank and subsequently a Senior Vice President at Union Trust Company (now a part of Wells Fargo). He also completed advanced studies at Williams College under the New England Banker’s Trust program. In addition to his professional career, he was heavily engaged in the area of community service. He served over his career as a Director of Family Services-Woodfield, the Greater Bridgeport Council of Churches, the Stratford VNA and a founder of the Community Foundation. He served as President of the Stratford Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) and was awarded their prestigious Distinguished Service Award. He was a Director and President of PYE (Protect Your Environment) during the early years of environmental awareness. He was a Founder of Housatonic Community College and the Connecticut Harbor Management Association. He was the longest serving member and Chairman of the Stratford Waterfront and Harbor Management Commission and was recognized by both Governor M. Jodi Rell and the State Legislature for his service to the state and community in that role.

He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Festival Theater the successor to the Shakespeare Theater in Stratford. Because of its rich tapestry of aviation history, Bob and fellow enthusiasts formed the Connecticut Air and Space Museum covering the contributions of both lgor Sikorsky and Dr. Anselm Franz.

Mr. Sammis continued his post retirement activity acting as a portfolio consultant to other financial advisors, municipalities and charitable endowments in addition to individual clients. He takes particular interest in promoting a more global approach toward investments. Much of this interest stems from the travels with his wife, Joyce, to many corners of the world.

He has worked closely with various institutions including the University of Bridgeport where he was elected a Fellow of the International College dedicated to expanding the awareness of business potential of the Pacific Rim, principally China. He was also the sponsor of the Robert Sammis Lecture Series on doing business in China at the University of Bridgeport. He was a member of the committee, Trade and Diplomacy in Asia Pacific, which developed the certification of a graduate level curricula and parameters, thereto.

Upon retiring from banking, he continued to manage a number of portfolios and was instrumental in guiding many clients toward major gifts at various post secondary institutions.

Joyce and Bob retired once again to Lansdale, Pennsylvania so as to be nearer both children and grandchildren. They stayed active and continued to travel around the globe.

Surviving are his children, Nancy Hellendall (Kenneth) of Melrose Park and Jeffrey Sammis (Christine) of Leonia, NJ; four grandchildren, and sister, Martha Sammis of Allentown. He was predeceased by brothers, Donald S. Sammis Jr., and Wilson F. Sammis; and a sister, Martha.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

James “Marvin” Gangemi, 92, of Williamstown, MA, died peacefully on Tuesday, November 23rd 2021 surrounded by family at the Bennington Veterans Home in Bennington, VT. Marvin was born in North Adams, MA, son of the late Dr. Michael A. Gangemi and Evelyn (O’Neil) Gangemi, and was about to celebrate 68 years of marriage with his loving wife Mary (Morrissey) Gangemi.

Marvin graduated from Williston Academy in 1948, Tufts University in 1952, and received a Master’s Degree in Education from North Adams State College in 1960. Marvin served in the US Air Force during the Korean War.

Marvin was fulfilled by sharing his passion for the outdoors and was in his element when surrounded by his students and family. He was known for his love of all creatures, especially his loving labradors. He was dedicated to the Williamstown community, serving in the Williamstown Public Schools from 1956 until his retirement in 1992 where he positively impacted many young lives as a beloved coach, teacher, principal, and superintendent. He took pride in being a co-founder of the Williamstown Little League. He, along with his wife Mary, served on the board of directors of A Better Chance. Marvin was also on the board of directors of the Williamstown Boys Club, serving as its president for several years, and later served on the board of directors for the Hoosic River Watershed Association.

In the 1960s he and his wife Mary founded Camp Tamarack in Florida, MA which they operated for 20 years, welcoming youth from surrounding towns to experience the joys of the outdoors and develop lifelong friendships. In 1984 he and Mary started a successful bed and breakfast at Steep Acres Farm, which became a gathering place for Williams College Alumni, and attracted visitors from all over the world.

Marvin was a devoted husband, father, and friend and loved gathering with his large extended family. He married Mary (Morrissey) Gangemi in 1953 and they raised a family of six children. Marvin is survived by his wife Mary (Morrissey) Gangemi of Williamstown, MA, son Daniel Gangemi of Sarasota, FL, daughter Sarah Bardo and husband Seth of Stamford, VT, daughter Johanna Gangemi-Brown and husband Boyd of Gold Hill, CO, son John Gangemi and wife Robin Bissell of Columbia Falls, MT, son Anthony Gangemi and wife Dabney Langellier of Whitefish, MT, and daughter Mary Kate Bronder and husband Michael of Andover, MA. Marvin is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his sisters Annetta Gleason, Mary E. Ramm, Jeanne Durocher, and his brother Michael Gangemi.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Berkshire Humane Society at https://berkshirehumane.org/donate/.

Samuel Winchester Morey, 84, of Cottonwood, Arizona, passed away in his home on November 17, 2021. His beloved wife, daughters, and faithful dog, Amber were by his side. Sam was born on December 22, 1936 in Boston, MA to Ruth Winchester and George Palmer Morey.

Sam and Connie were married for 62 years and were blessed with three wonderful daughters, Donna Dill (Jeff), Debra Stalvey (Noah) and Diana Jeffrey (Daniel) and their beloved grandchildren, Kristen Dill, Dr. Sarah Dill (Brendan), Amanda Stalvey, Adam Stalvey; great stepson, Gage Boone and great-granddaughter, Dylan Mercer who will soon be joined by a little brother. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Donna; son-in-law, Jeffrey Dill; infant granddaughter, Melissa Stalvey; his parents, his sister, Prudence Palmer and brother, George Morey.

In 1976 Sam and Connie moved to Arizona where he became a real estate and mortgage broker in the Tucson area. There he was active in both local and state politics, and served as a district chairman. He founded the Tucson chapter of the 100 Club which later merged with the Phoenix chapter. Sam and Connie moved to Cottonwood in 2001.

No services are planned at this time, but a Celebration of Life will be held in the future.

Richard Arthur De Angelis died unexpectedly in Marseille, France, on July 30, 2021, of pneumonia. Born May 4, 1944, he contracted polio when only 2 ½, giving him a slight limp. Rick spent three years of his early childhood in Athens, Greece, where his father worked for the American mission, later the Marshall plan. He entered Williston Academy in 1958 when his father moved with the rest of the family to Bologna, Italy, for an appointment as professor of public administration. Rick excelled academically at the prep school, becoming valedictorian of his class and editor of the school newspaper.

Rick graduated in 1966 from Harvard, where he studied under the noted sociologist Lawrence Wylie. Wylie introduced him to field research in France, and enabled his participation as one of seventeen student authors of Chanzeaux: A Village in Anjou, the portrait of a rural community in western France; the book served as a conservative counterpart to Wylie’s acclaimed Village in the Vaucluse. Rick’s Francophilia continued in graduate school, bringing him the acquaintance of his future wife Françoise and some riveting experiences of near revolution in Paris during the 1968 Events of May. His experiences then would inform his dissertation, published in 1982 as Blue-Collar Workers and Politics: A French Paradox. World politics would continue to dominate Rick’s professional life, as he gained his doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago (1979, where he studied with Nathan Leites and Aristide Zolberg. Rick went on to teach in universities in San Diego, Nancy (France), Zaria (northern Nigeria), Adelaide, and, for a three-year period, in Bologna at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins.

Rick spent the bulk of his academic career at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, where he found the academic community intellectually congenial, the climate ideal, and the landscape endlessly appealing (in a brief autobiography he called his time in Australia “almost paradise”). In later years he fought a rearguard action against the Australian government’s educational reforms, propelled by a belief that privatization, bureaucratization, and the elimination of intermediating review bodies undermined the unusual progressive, international character of Flinders. In 2009 he retired to live with his wife in the Provençale village of Sérignan, where he worked on a French version of his political thriller, The Adler Tape. Rick’s wife of 52 years, an accomplished poet with a compelling predilection for the natural world, suffered a severe stroke in January, 2020 and died after a prolonged, hospital-bound illness just two days before Rick.

Predeceased by his wife, Rick is survived by his daughters Cybèle Coquis and Christina De Angelis; his son-in-law Eric Coquis; two grandsons, Antoine and Alexandre Coquis—all in France; his sisters Nancy Morgan and Anita De Angelis; and his brother Paul.

Andrew J. Sullivan, 85, of The Villages, Florida, passed away on November 16, 2021. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut on November 12, 1936. Andrew grew up with a brother and two sisters. He earned a degree at Tufts University, and went on to get a MBA at Babson College. Andrew and his wife, Kathleen, both retired from The Travelers Insurance Company and moved to The Villages in 2004.

Andrew was a veteran and a member of the local American Legion Post. He enjoyed golfing, sailing, dancing, and books. Andrew’s wife, Kathleen Scanlan Sullivan, preceded him in 2008. Andrew is survived by his children, Catherine, Jane, Elizabeth, Molly, and Andrew.

A private memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family. Interment of Andrew’s cremains will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery in New Britain, CT.

Jeffrey Burke Thomas, 72, of Richmond, Virginia, crossed the bar, as the sailors say, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. He was the son of the late George and Mimi Thomas; and was predeceased by Jana, his wife of 35 years. He is survived by his daughter, Catherine; son-in-law, Andrew; and granddaughter, Saoirse; his son, Burke; brother, George and wife, Anara; nephews, George and Daniel; cousins, Thia, Christie and Laurie and their children, Becket, Paul, Kendra, Micah, Jenny, Reaghan and Towner; and his brothers-and-sisters-in-law Ed, Francey, Ellie, Rusty, Ellen, Walter; and nieces and nephews Ren, Jesse, Emily, Jenny, Brett, Zach, Gene, Zoe, Bradley, Lindsey, Blake, Taylor, Emily, Patrick, Adelaide, Pete and Will.

Jeff was born in New York City on August 29, 1949 and left after six weeks to live with his parents in South America. George spent his career establishing international operations for A.H. Robins Pharmaceutical Company, now part of Pfizer, as Mimi founded local Christian Science reading rooms. Jeff attended schools in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, where his headmaster would ring a bell at noon to signal the students to switch from Spanish to English. He moved to the United States at age 13 to attend Williston Academy in Massachusetts and graduated as class president. He attended Wesleyan University, where he again served as senior class president, as well as goalie on the varsity hockey team, followed by graduate studies at the Darden School at the University of Virginia. He delighted in putting bawdy stories in the middle of his papers when he believed his professors were not paying attention. His game was never discovered.

He worked as an investment banker for Wheat First Securities (Wachovia) before owning a number of successful small businesses, ranging from Virginia Controls to A-1 Security to an ornamental ironmaker in Winchester, providing stable employment for dozens of families. After retirement, he sought to give back through public service as a basketball coach at St. Catherine’s School, Saint Gertrude, Jamestown High and St. Edward Epiphany. He co-authored The Complete Guide to Coaching Girls’ Basketball with Hall of Fame UNC coach, Sylvia Hatchell. He pursued his dual passions for boating and photography by publishing feature articles and cover photographs for Sailing and Cruising World. Later, he tried his hand at writing screenplays, winning multiple competitions including Best First Screenplay at the Richmond International Film Festival. He also dedicated his time and skills as a writer to tutoring high school students on their college admissions essays.

Jeff had a unique love of wooden boats and enjoyed sailing with sea dogs, Alex, Bill, Chris, Clinton, George, Mike and Paul and sea pups, Matt, Mary Vaughn and Katie. He was schooled in celestial navigation and could predict the weather by reading the clouds. He also had a special place in his heart for Kit Kats, Krispy Kreme, Goombay Smashes and sea shanties.

He traveled with his wife on eight medical and humanitarian mission trips to Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Peru. He served as interpreter and sponsored the education of several Dominican medical students.

Jeff could play any instrument he picked up and speak a new language in a month. He won every board game and was an especially intuitive chess player. He remained an avid UVA basketball fan during the brief time between Ralph Sampson and Tony Bennett, always watching games in the same pair of lucky shorts that were validated after 30 short years. He was wildly funny, warm, generous, kind, fair-minded and eternally optimistic. He endeavored to make everyone he met feel special. He stood faithfully by his beloved wife, Jana during many years of her difficult illness. As his own health waned, he had the great privilege of a wonderful travel companion and friend (Judy), the care of a fantastic team of nurses (Abby, Whitney and Crystal) and the support and love of many, many friends and family members. Despite his physical limitations, he spent the last year of his life writing a children’s book (The A to Z Guide to Boating) dedicated to his granddaughter, Saoirse.

A funeral celebration for Captain Jeff will be held outdoors in the spring. Donations may be made to Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT).

Eric Britton, of Paris, France, passed away on October 31, 2021. A funeral ceremony will be held on Monday, November 15 at 11:15 a.m. at the Parisian cemetery of Saint Ouen (69 avenue Michelet, St. Ouen).
A homage to Eric will be held on the same day at 4 p.m. at the café brasserie Les Facultés, 110 rue d’Assas, 75006 Paris.

Donald Jamieson Scott passed away November 15, 2021, at the age of 87, in Naples, Florida. He dedicated his life to caring for others through his faith, work, and volunteer service.

He was born on January 18, 1934, in New Haven Connecticut to parents Leslie and Earlyne Scott. He spent his childhood in Connecticut where he attended Hopkins Grammar School, Williston Academy and Trinity College (AB ’56, Economics). He married his high-school sweetheart Susan Breck from Wallingford Connecticut. They were married for 25 years until her death in 1981.

After ten years of flying all over the world with the United States Air Force and Pan American, Don settled into a 35-year long career as a Financial Advisor in Naples in 1980. Through his work he met Gale Waterland; they married in 1985 and became business partners. Don retired in 2015 from Moran Wealth Management.

Don was an active volunteer member in the Naples Community, where he served as the first president of the YMCA Endowment Board, the Board President Volunteer Collier and numerous roles and committees at his beloved church, Trinity-by-the-Cove. He served on the Board of Directors of the Naples Yacht Club for nine years; serving as Commodore in 2011.

He will be remembered for his smile, silly accents, corny jokes and his intense love for God and his family. “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them.” 1 John 4:16

Donald is survived by his loving wife, Gale W. Scott, daughters, Alicia S. Wholley (Paul) and Andrea S. Radulovic; granddaughters, Meredith B. Wholley, Grace M. Wholley, Beverly B. Radulovic, Emma S. Radulovic; brother, Gordon B. Scott (Annette); nieces, nephews and long-time family friends.

A memorial service will be held Friday, November 26, 2021, 11:00 A.M. at Trinity- by-the-Cove Episcopal Church, 553 Galleon Dr. Naples, FL 34102 and will be livestreamed via the church’s website.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Trinity-by-the-Cove Episcopal Church. The family extends their appreciation to the caregivers of Avow Hospice Care, McKenney Home Care, and Arbor Glen Assisted Living.

Aldo Orlando Cipriano, of Waterbury, Connecticut; husband of T. Brenda (Stamates) Cipriano; father to Heather DeLorenzo, Brenda Cipriano, Jill Cipriano and Milly Bourdeau; father-in-law to Joseph DeLorenzo and John Bourdeau; and grandfather to Leah, Lindsey, Alexa, Joey, and Dylan DeLorenzo, died Sunday, October 31, 2021.

Aldo was born in Waterbury, September 24, 1937, son of the late Carmine and Ann Marie (Orlando) Cipriano. He was a graduate of Crosby High School, Williston Academy and Colgate University and was a teacher at Wilby High School in Waterbury.

He was an All-American athlete, holding records in the backstroke. He enjoyed fishing, camping, and nature.

Services are private.