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Obituaries
'She Won:' CT Husband Honors Wife After 8-Year Cancer Battle 'She Won:' CT Husband Honors Wife After 8-Year Cancer Battle 'She Won:' CT Husband Honors Wife After 8-Year Cancer Battle
'She Won:' CT Husband Honors Wife After 8-Year Cancer Battle Sadness spread across Fairfield County this weekend in the wake of the death of Nicole Somma. The 38-year-old Norwalk resident died peacefully at home on Friday, Oct. 10, according to her obituary on the Raymond Funeral Home website. A Sharon native, Nicole had been battling cancer for nearly as long as she'd been married to her husband, Jay. And according to him, she won her fight. "Nicole WON her fight and is now at peace," he said in a Facebook post Saturday morning, Oct. 11. "She never lost her smile or fierce spirit all the way thru. She is my hero, soulmate, wife, lover, friend and i…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Woman Killed On 21st Birthday In Griswold Crash Leaves Behind Newborn Twins: 'A Beautiful Soul' Woman Killed On 21st Birthday In Griswold Crash Leaves Behind Newborn Twins: 'A Beautiful Soul' Woman Killed On 21st Birthday In Griswold Crash Leaves Behind Newborn Twins: 'A Beautiful Soul'
Woman Killed On 21st Birthday In Griswold Crash Leaves Behind Newborn Twins: 'A Beautiful Soul' A Massachusetts woman killed on her 21st birthday in a Connecticut crash is being remembered as a devoted wife and compassionate mother to her 3-month-old twin boys. Lexi Dantas, of Ashburnham, Massachusetts, was the passenger in a Tesla Model Y that collided head-on with another Tesla on Sunday, Sept. 29, in Griswold, Connecticut, state police said. Investigators believe the other car crossed the center line on Preston Road near the I-395 on-ramp and struck the Dantas vehicle shortly before 3 p.m. Her husband, 23-year-old Dan Dantas, was driving. He and the other driver suffered minor inju…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Police ID Mom Killed With 7-Year-Old Child In Head-On Crash: 'Miss You Dearly' Police ID Mom Killed With 7-Year-Old Child In Head-On Crash: 'Miss You Dearly' Police ID Mom Killed With 7-Year-Old Child In Head-On Crash: 'Miss You Dearly'
Police ID Mom Killed With 7-Year-Old Child In Head-On Crash: 'Miss You Dearly' Authorities have identified the 40-year-old mother and her 7-year-old son who were killed in a head-on crash over the weekend, police said. Brandi Lowery, of New Haven, and her son, Jacob Vega, died in a two-car crash in Hamden on Saturday, Sept. 28. The collision happened just before 10:15 p.m. on Davis Street near Rogers Road, according to Hamden police. Lowery and Vega were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Five people in the other vehicle were hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The cause of the crash remains under inves…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
CT Teen Killed In Crash Remembered For Kindness, Ambition CT Teen Killed In Crash Remembered For Kindness, Ambition CT Teen Killed In Crash Remembered For Kindness, Ambition
CT Teen Killed In Crash Remembered For Kindness, Ambition A soft-spoken 19-year-old Connecticut man killed in a crash is being remembered for his ambition, compassion, and the bright future he left behind. Bryce Anthony Tarallo, of Marlborough, died in a Sept. 11 crash. While details about the wreck remain limited, the outpouring of community support has been immediate. Dozens of people have donated to a GoFundMe created to help Tarallo's family as they grieve. The campaign has raised more than $4,000 of its $5,500 goal as of Tuesday, Sept. 30. "Bryce was an incredible person who left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him," the fundraise…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
14-Year-Old CT Boy Killed In Dirt Bike Crash 14-Year-Old CT Boy Killed In Dirt Bike Crash 14-Year-Old CT Boy Killed In Dirt Bike Crash
14-Year-Old CT Boy Killed In Dirt Bike Crash A 14-year-old Connecticut boy was killed over the weekend when he crashed his dirt bike into a rocky embankment, authorities said. Now, the community is coming together to help his family.  Erik Brooker, a freshman at RHAM High School in Hebron, died when he lost control of his dirt bike on an S-curve on Burnt Hill Road in Hebron shortly before 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, Connecticut State Police said. His bike hit a rocky embankment and threw him from the vehicle. Paramedics rushed the teen to an area hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, police said. Regional School District…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Loved Ones Mourn Sudden Death Of CT Firefighter: ‘John Will Be Missed’ Loved Ones Mourn Sudden Death Of CT Firefighter: ‘John Will Be Missed’ Loved Ones Mourn Sudden Death Of CT Firefighter: ‘John Will Be Missed’
Loved Ones Mourn Sudden Death Of CT Firefighter: ‘John Will Be Missed’ A Connecticut community is grieving after the sudden death of South Windsor Fire Department Staff Lt. John M. Kania. The 71-year-old lifelong South Windsor resident worked at Pratt & Whitney for more than 44 years. Kania was a second-generation firefighter in town and served nine years with Support Company 6 and its Fire Police Unit, the South Windsor Fire Department said. The cause of death was not released. When not serving his community, Kania enjoyed fishing and shooting sports. He was happiest surrounded by family, especially his grandchildren, according to his obituary. Kania lea…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile' Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile' Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile'
Loved Ones Mourn CT Dad Killed In Fiery Crash: ‘We Will Always Remember That Smile' A Connecticut community is rallying around a family who lost their father in a fiery head-on collision as he drove home from work last week.  Venancio Papalotzi-George, 46, was on Route 66 in Middlefield when his Honda collided head-on with a Jeep around midnight Friday, Aug. 29. The Wrangler flipped on its roof and burst into flames. Bystanders pulled the driver of the Jeep from the burning vehicle, and paramedics rushed them to a hospital, where they were recovering. But rescuers could not reach Papalotzi-George in time. Authorities said he suffered catastrophic injuries and died bef…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Woman Severely Burned In CT House Fire Dies 2 Weeks After Blaze Woman Severely Burned In CT House Fire Dies 2 Weeks After Blaze Woman Severely Burned In CT House Fire Dies 2 Weeks After Blaze
Woman Severely Burned In CT House Fire Dies 2 Weeks After Blaze The 75-year-old woman who was seriously injured in a Connecticut house fire earlier this month has died, officials announced.  Kathy Samuelson was severely burned in a house fire on Hartford Pike in Killingly on Aug. 7, Connecticut State Police said.  Firefighters were called to the home around 1:30 p.m. and found Samuelson inside. Paramedics airlifted her to a burn center, but doctors were unable to save her. She died on Aug. 21, authorities announced Thursday.  Crews told news outlets that there were hoarding conditions inside the home, which complicated putting out the bl…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Body Found Off Waterford Coast ID'd As New London Man Body Found Off Waterford Coast ID'd As New London Man Body Found Off Waterford Coast ID'd As New London Man
Body Found Off Waterford Coast ID'd As New London Man Authorities have identified a body recovered from the Long Island Sound off the coast of Waterford as a 39-year-old man from New London. Jessee Lee Pond was found near the shoreline Tuesday, Aug. 26, about 1.5 miles south of Millstone Point and west of Bartlett Reef, according to Waterford police. Officials said the Waterford Police Department and the New London State's Attorney's Office are working with the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. Authorities ask anyone with information to call the Waterford Police Departm…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Family Of Slain CT Barber Speaks Out: 'Taken From Us In Worst Way Possible' Family Of Slain CT Barber Speaks Out: 'Taken From Us In Worst Way Possible' Family Of Slain CT Barber Speaks Out: 'Taken From Us In Worst Way Possible'
Family Of Slain CT Barber Speaks Out: 'Taken From Us In Worst Way Possible' A strong community is forming around the family of a Bristol business owner who was fatally shot last week in New Britain. Jayson Bruno-Matos, 36, was found with gunshot wounds in the 100 block of Arch Street around 2 a.m. on Saturday after multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunfire, police said. One of his siblings has launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking support from the community that Bruno-Matos loved—and neighbors are stepping up. The fundraiser has already collected more than $6,000 to cover funeral expenses and help support his daughters and other family members. The campaign’s g…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
CT Firefighter, Veteran Who 'Lived Life With Intensity, Heart' Killed In I-95 Crash CT Firefighter, Veteran Who 'Lived Life With Intensity, Heart' Killed In I-95 Crash CT Firefighter, Veteran Who 'Lived Life With Intensity, Heart' Killed In I-95 Crash
CT Firefighter, Veteran Who 'Lived Life With Intensity, Heart' Killed In I-95 Crash Authorities have identified a 32-year-old Connecticut firefighter as the motorcyclist who died in a crash on I-95 in Guilford late last week. Michael Terrio, of Killingworth, a member of the Guilford Fire Department, was riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 when he crashed into the back of a Volvo near Exit 59 southbound on Friday, Aug. 22, around 8:45 p.m., Connecticut State Police said. Paramedics took Terrio to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The Volvo’s driver, a 66-year-old man from Freehold, New Jersey, sustained minor injuries in the collision. The Guilford Fir…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Bristol Business Owner Shot Multiple Times in New Britain ‘Disturbance’ Dies: Police Bristol Business Owner Shot Multiple Times in New Britain ‘Disturbance’ Dies: Police Bristol Business Owner Shot Multiple Times in New Britain ‘Disturbance’ Dies: Police
Bristol Business Owner Shot Multiple Times in New Britain ‘Disturbance’ Dies: Police A 42-year-old Bristol man and business owner who was shot multiple times over the weekend has died, authorities announced Monday, Aug. 25. Jayson Bruno-Matos was found with gunshot wounds in the 100 block of Arch Street in New Britain around 2 a.m. Saturday, after multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunfire, police said. Related: GoFundMe Created For Jayson Bruno-Matos' Family Paramedics rushed Bruno-Matos to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Investigators said the shooting stemmed from a “disturbance” and emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the pu…

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by Josh Lanier