Remembering Jerry and DeVere Oakes
Jerry Oakes and his wife of nearly 72 years, Ellen DeVere Bechtold Oakes, passed away 10 days apart in August 2025, both at the age of 94. Born in Indiana and Hoosiers to the core, Jerry and DeVere lived in Norfolk for 21 years before moving to assisted living in Farmington in 2023. Jerry was […]
Norfolk Centenarian Was a Strong Advocate for Peace
Norfolk will remember Joanne Davis Hohmeister as a quiet but strong woman who was known for her kindness and compassion for family, friends and strangers alike. Joanne died Dec. 27, 2025, in Stamford, just a month after she enjoyed a celebration of her 100th birthday with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Born on Nov. 16, […]
Remembering John Barry: Veteran and Volunteer
John Michael Barry, 83, of The Villages, Fla., died peacefully on Jan. 1, at the Moffitt Cancer Center, after a brief period of illness, in the presence of his loving family. John was born on June 4, 1942, in Winsted and raised in Norfolk, where he developed the values of faith, service, hard work, and […]
Remembering Lori Hoyt
Lori Hoyt, 64, of Salisbury, Conn. passed away peacefully surrounded by her friends and family on Nov. 13, 2025. Lori was a loving and caring mother, a devoted friend and an exceptional daughter. Her presence, laughter and joy will be deeply missed. Lori was born on Oct. 16, 1961, in Hartford, Conn., and spent her […]
Norfolk Remembers
Kerry Garside Barbara Lawrence Garside died at her home in Norfolk on July 26, 2024, fittingly on the first day of the Paris Summer Olympics, a sporting event she loved. Kerry – as she was known to all – was born in 1935 in New York City to Barbara Childs Lawrence and James Freeman Lawrence. […]
Norfolk Remembers: Elizabeth Ann (Poll) Leifert
Elizabeth A Leifert, 80, passed away March 28, 2024. She was the wife of 60 years of Lawrence A. Leifert. Born in Torrington on Feb. 3, 1944, she was the daughter of Armand and Katherine Killiany Poll and a graduate of the Hart School of Music. She worked for the State of Connecticut Department of […]
Norfolk Remembers: Eleanor Curtiss Ellert
Eleanor Curtiss Ellert passed away on February 23, 2024, at the young age of 96. She was born in Norfolk, in 1927 to Albert H. and Elizabeth (Manville) Curtiss. Although she moved away from Norfolk during her marriage to her first husband of 14 years, she returned with her son, Clifford Bell, after her divorce. […]
In Memoriam
Margaret Riiska Margaret C. Riiska left us on March 14, 2024, after an action-packed 99-year run. On January 29, 1925, Anna (Seitz) O’Brien and Thomas O’Brien welcomed Marge into their tight-knit family as the second youngest of 12 children. She was born in Norfolk, but the family soon moved to Winsted, where Marge lived most […]
Norfolk Remembers Barbara Gridley
Barbara Dean Gueinzius Gridley died peacefully on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, nine days shy of her 94th birthday, in her beloved Norfolk, Conn. home under the loving care of her two children, extended family members, her beloved knitting group, friends of all ages, caregivers and hospice nurses of the Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield […]
In Memoriam
Timothy Walter King (1966-2023) Timothy Walter King, 57, entered into eternal life on Oct. 21, 2023, with family by his side. Born Sept. 11, 1966, in Winsted, he was the son of the late Paul and Rita (Lachat) King. Timothy graduated from the special needs program at Conard High School in West Hartford, where he […]
