Bacon Funeral Home Willimantic, CT, 71 Prospect Street, Willimantic, CT (2026)

03/20/2026

Carmelo Gerard “Chuck” Santa Lucia, 72, of Hampton, Connecticut, passed away peacefully at home on March 6, 2026, with his son Derek and his companion Diane by his side.

Chuck was born on May 18, 1953, in Willimantic, Connecticut, to the late Peppino and Jeannette (Marrotte) Santa Lucia. Affectionately known as “Chuckie,” he was the fifth of ten children in the Santa Lucia family. He was predeceased by his parents; his brother, Guy; and his youngest sister, Mary Ellen.

Chuck grew up in Willimantic and attended Windham High School. He went on to build a long career as a skilled carpenter and proud member of Carpenters Union Local 24 in New London. During his years in the trade, he worked on several large projects, including construction at both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casinos.

Outside of work, Chuck enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. He loved fishing and hunting, raising chickens, and spending quiet time reading. He was an avid reader and a collector of books.

Chuck’s family is deeply grateful to his devoted partner Diane and her daughter Penny, who provided him with loving care and support during his time of need.

In addition to his partner Diane, Chuck is survived by his son Derek Santa Lucia and his wife Lori (Boucher) Santa Lucia, and their children Ashley Marie Hanko and her husband Michael, Nicholas Santa Lucia, and Anna Gilbert; his daughter Erica Santa Lucia and her daughter Anya; and his three great-grandchildren, Bella, Braden, and Kinley.

He is also survived by his siblings: his sister Wallis French and her husband Bill; his sister Mother Paul Marie; his brother Joe Santa Lucia and his wife Algi; his brother Francis Santa Lucia and his wife Carol; his sister Ann Van Ness and her husband William; his brother Peter Santa Lucia and his wife Gloria; and his sister Janet Tourigny and her husband Gary. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.

A private family service will be held at the cemetery in late spring.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

03/20/2026

Michelle Pierce, 56, of Willimantic, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at home. Born on January 15, 1970, in Rockville, CT, she was the daughter of the late Clifton and Irene (Gervais) Pierce.

Michelle was a true spark of joy who lived life with undeniable style. A self-proclaimed fashionista, she was a woman who found joy in life’s simplest and most beautiful moments. She loved being outdoors, whether she was birdwatching, planting flowers, or visiting the animals at Northwest Park in Windsor. A true lover of music, she could often be found listening to Elvis and her favorite oldies and she never turned down a scenic ride for ice cream. She lived for her "spa days"—nothing made her smile quite like a fresh manicure, a relaxing massage, or having her hair done to perfection. To Michelle, being pampered wasn't just a treat; it was a reflection of her vibrant, beautiful spirit.

While she leaves an empty space here in our hearts, we rejoice that Michelle is now in the arms of Jesus, where every day is as bright as she was. She will be deeply missed by her loving sister and brother-in-law, Shari and Joseph Latif of Danielson, as well as the many dedicated staff members at North Street who loved and cared for her like family.

Service Information: Friends may visit on Thursday, April 2, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Bacon Funeral Home, 71 Prospect St, Willimantic. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Michelle’s memory to the Creative Living Community of CT (CLCC).(creativelivingcommunityofct.org)Online expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.baconfh.com.

03/16/2026

It is with heartfelt sorrow that we announce the passing of John (“Jack”) Fegan III, 83, of South Windham, Connecticut. He was the son of the late John and Joan (Ross) Fegan.

Jack was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 15, 1942. He proudly served four and a half years in the United States Air Force. On September 4, 1967, he married Joan (Chagnon) Fegan, and they shared 58½ happy years of marriage.

In 1969, they moved to Storrs, Connecticut, where Jack attended the University of Connecticut. In 1973, they settled in South Windham, Connecticut, in the home Jack built for his family.

Jack was self-employed and founded his own building business, MIC Builders LLC. He later went on to establish Masters Insulation, LLC.

In 1974, their first son, Darren, was born, followed by their son Brian in 1977. Jack loved coaching his sons in baseball, and when he wasn’t coaching, he could always be found on the sidelines supporting them at their sporting events.

Jack was also a midget car enthusiast and co-sponsored a race car, the Masters Insulation 7X. After his time with racing, Jack and Joan purchased a camper in Wells, Maine, where they spent many summers with family and friends enjoying the beach.

Later in life, Jack earned his favorite title—“Papa”—to his grandchildren. He often said that having grandchildren was the reward for having children.

Jack is survived by his loving wife, Joan Fegan; his son, Brian Fegan of Willimantic, Connecticut; his granddaughters, Auriana Sanchez (Roberto) of Willimantic, CT, and Anyka, Jayleen, and Katelyn Fegan of Mansfield Center, CT; his grandson, Xavier Fegan; and his great-grandchildren, Berkley and Darren Fegan of Willimantic, CT. He is also survived by his sister, Jill Fegan of Sarasota, Florida.

Jack was predeceased by his son, Darren.

A Mass will be celebrated on Thursday Mar 26, at 10AM at St. Joseph Church 99 Jackson St, Willimantic. Burial will be in Windham Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers because of the Lental season please donate to Tunnel to Towers: Stephen Siller Foundation 2361 Hylan Bivd, Staten Istand, New York 10306 (T2T.org) or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 26 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105.( stjude.org). To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

03/16/2026

Richard A. Dancosse Jr., 66, of Willimantic husband of Olivia (Tower) Dancosse passed away Saturday March 14, 2026 at Hartford Hospital. He is the son of Claire (Sylvester) Dancosse of Columbia and the late Richard Dancosse Sr.

Born on January 26, 1960 in Willimantic, CT he lived in Columbia and Ashford, then lived in Mansfield until 2011 before returning back to Willimantic. He worked as a custodian for the University of Connecticut retiring after 34.5 years. Richard was a Past Exalted Ruler of the Willimantic Elks 1311, and also enjoyed bowling and softball.

Besides his mother, and his wife Olivia of 41 years, he leaves his sons, Steven Dancosse and his wife Jessica of Hawthorne, CA and Christopher Dancosse and his fiance Danielle of Colchester; his sisters, Sue Dancosse of Columbia and Lori LeBlond and her husband Paul and their son Matt of Leicester, MA; a brother, Paul Dancosse and his wife Cindy of Mansfield; 7 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Wed March 25, from 4 to 7PM at the Willimantic Elks Lodge Ballroom . To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

03/06/2026

Gilbert Fournier 9/8/41 - 3/4/26

Gilbert Fournier, 84, of Willimantic Connecticut, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones.

Gilbert was born on September 8, 1941, in Central Falls Rhode Island.

Gilbert was well known in the community as the proud owner of Gil’s Restaurant, where he spent many years serving customers, making friends, and building lasting connections with the people around him. He was a hardworking man who took pride in his work and valued the relationships he built through it.

Outside of work, Gilbert cherished time spent at his lake house in Maine a place where he found peace, relaxation, and joy with family. Above all else, he deeply loved his wife, Theresa, and treasured the life they built together.

Gilbert was a devoted father, grandfather, and family man. He is survived by his son, James Fournier(Danielle St. Onge); his daughter, Linda Stoute(Timo Stoute); his grandsons, Dillion Fournier, Codie DeMao, and Timothy Stoute; and his granddaughters, Danielle Fournier and Victoria Savy and his five great grandchildren. He will be remembered for his dedication to his family, his strong work ethic, and the many memories he created with those he loved.

Gilbert’s legacy lives on in the hearts of his family and all who knew him. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Services will be private. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

03/06/2026

Dorothy P. Hill, 92, of Willington passed away Thursday March 5, 2026 at Manchester Memorial Hospital.

She was born on November 12, 1933 in Litchfield, Ct.

Services are private. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

03/06/2026

Brian E. Wolf, 87, of Windham Center, husband of Linda (LaVallie) Wolf, passed away Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at Backus Hospital. He was the son of the late Norman and Lois (Peabody) Wolf.

Born on November 2, 1938 in Willimantic, CT he grew up in Windham Center and made it his lifelong home. Over the years he has worked at Electric Boat and Earthgro (became Scott’s Company) for 35 years, retiring in December 2024. He served for four years in the US Air Force, 1955-59.
Around 2010, Brian put his faith in Jesus Christ and began a whole new life adventure, in which he continued faithfully right up to his passing. With Linda, He became a member of the First Congregational Church of Windham, and was very active in all aspects of church life.

Besides his wife Linda, he is survived by his son, Brian Jr; his son, Craig (Lisa); his grandchildren, Briana and Zachary; his sister, Elaine Rogers; nephew, Todd Rogers (Heather) niece, Robyn Rogers, niece, Val Rogers; and great nephews, Quin and Cole Rogers; brother-in-law, Gary (Gloria) LaVallie and nephew, Arthur LaVallie III. In addition to his parents he was predeceased by his brother-in-law, “Butch” Rogers and nephews, Scot Rogers and Gary Jr, Kevin and Anthony LaVallie.

Services will be Saturday March 14, at 11AM at the First Congregational Church of Windham, 4 Windham Center Rd, Windham. Relatives and friends may visit the family from 10AM until the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to bless the children of Haiti, through Bethesda Evangelical Mission (BEM Haiti), PO Box 6060 Wallingford, CT 06492 To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.co

03/04/2026

Daniel J. Adams, 78, of Willimantic passed away Monday March 2, 2026 at St. Joseph Living Center. He was the son of the late George and Jeanne (Asselin) Adams.

Born on March 18, 1947 in Willimantic, CT he lived in Rhode Island for many years then moved back to Willimantic residing for the last 20 years . He worked as a check maker for many years.

He is survived by his brother, Robert Adams; nephews, Scott Adams and Todd Adams; a niece, Joy Cornell and a cousin, Kenneth Adams.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday March 11, at 10AM at St. Joseph Cemetery Club Rd, Windham. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

02/27/2026

Noreen Ann (Baker) Heriot

Noreen Heriot, 89, of Ashford CT passed away on Sunday, February 22, 2026 after a short journey with metastatic cancer.

Born July 29, 1936, in New Haven CT. She was the daughter of the late Wilbur and Anna (Sepko) Baker. She was raised in Hamden CT and graduated from Hamden High School class of 1955. She retired after 20 years working in the Financial Aid Department at UConn Storrs. Noreen enjoyed her horses, dogs and rural life in Ashford. She was an avid knitter. She enjoyed baking and there were many fights over the equitable division of her amazing cinnamon rolls. Her greatest joy came from spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandsons.

She was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Arthur Heriot. She is survived by her children Art (Joyce) Heriot, Marybeth Heriot March, Michael (Paula) Heriot and the son of her heart Dan (Kristin) Custer; her grandchildren Jonathan (Monica) March, Seth (Kylie) March and Molly and Mason Custer and her great grandsons Ezra, Levi and Asher March. Noreen is also survived by her sisters Valerie Carbone and Jeananne (Ed) Rostowsky along with many nieces and nephews. Special thanks to her Ashford friends Larry M, Sue, Linda G, and the Marcisins, for their care and concern.

Services will be held at the convenience of the family in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ashford Volunteer Fire Department, www.ashfordfire.org, or Our Companion Animal Sanctuary www.ourcompanions.org. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

02/21/2026

Gary Lee Deets, 82, of Coventry, loving husband, father, and grandfather passed at Hartford Hospital Monday, February 16, 2026. Born in Sunbury, PA on February 28, 1943, the son of the late Willard and Ethel (Wagner) Deets. He grew up in Northumberland, Pennsylvania where he graduated from Northumberland High School, class of 1960. He went on to graduate from Bloomsburg Teachers College, earning his bachelor's degree followed by the University of Pittsburgh and earning his PhD in chemistry. Gary was employed by Monsanto in the specialty resins research department for 25 years. During that time, he met the love of his life, Julie Kuras, they married in 1981. Upon leaving Monsanto, he and Julie started a custom embroidery business in East Longmeadow MA which they ran together for a few years. Shortly thereafter, Gary re-entered the chemical R&D arena working with Industrial Summit Technologies (IST) located in Parlin, NJ for 20 years. Over the course of his life’s work Gary was named on 32 patents. The majority of his life’s work focused on consumer, industrial applications, and the aerospace and defense industries. He took great pride in the contributions he made during that time.

While growing up in Pennsylvania Gary loved to hunt and fish with his father and later with his son Gary (JR). He spent his summers as a child in Canada on Lake Dalhousie water skiing and fishing. He even loved to regale his friends and family with stories of the beautiful northern lights he was able to see while at Lake Dalhousie. In high school he played football, basketball, and baseball. In college he was on the chess team and a player not to take lightly. Gary worked at his father’s service station until 1970 when he moved to Springfield, MA. after graduating college. Being an adventurer at heart, he enjoyed traveling, camping, hiking, photography, and was quite the history buff. In his down time Gary was also known to be fond of watching sports and playing videos games to relax. He and JR would spend hours playing complex strategy war games. Gary traveled across the country with his family several times visiting the national parks and spent the last 35 years camping seasonally at Sebago Lake Family Campground in Standish, ME. He loved the peace and beauty of Maine and enjoyed many hours in the boat on beautiful Sebago Lake with family and friends. He was mindful of what great scenery the country had to offer.

Gary also treasured watching his sons excel playing soccer, running track, and wrestling. He loved being involved with his daughter Suzzy’s equestrian endeavors in her youth. Watching his Grandson, Nicholas, play soccer from the age of 5 through high school also brought him many years of joy. Gary was a very handy guy and would tackle any type of project and loved teaching his children the importance of being self-reliant and confident. We don’t think there was any task he found too difficult! After moving to CT in 1997 Gary became an avid UCONN women’s basketball fan as well as a season pass holder for the CT Sun women’s basketball team. Gary loved animals and they loved him. He has had many dogs, cats, and horses over the years.

Gary is survived by his beloved wife Julie of 45 years of Coventry; two sons, Gary Deets and his wife Serena of Willington, CT, Lee Deets and his wife Carol of Lenox, MA.;two daughters, Marsha Siman of Waterford, ME and Suzanne Deets of Groveton, NH.; 6 grandchildren; Nick, Ryan, Karley, Joey, Jerrie and Christopher.

A celebration of Gary’s life will be held at a later date this summer. Donations in memory of Gary can be made to; houstonshaggydogrescue.org. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

02/18/2026

Susan Ann Fortier, 82, wife of the late Edward L. Fortier passed away Wednesday February 11, 2026 at Manchester Memorial Hospital. She was the daughter of the late Lyode and Jenny Perkins.

Born on November 2, 1943 in Norwich, CT Susan was a lifelong resident of Willimantic who cherished her family above all else she was a woman of quiet strength, warmth and compassion always family above All Else. always offering love guidance and unwavering support to those around her. Her home was a place of comfort and gathering where family traditions were nurtured and memories were lovingly made. Susan worked for American Thread for many years she then transferred onto a companion and homemakers from there she worked at the Eastbrook Mall until retirement Susan was an avid bingo player she loved playing her bingo and cooking she loved watching cooking shows and trying out new recipes. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered for her kindness, resilience and the enduring love she had for all.

Susan is survived by her devoted children son John Fortier and his partner Roberta Hartling of Lebanon, CT; daughter Bernice Avery and her husband Leonard Avery of Coventry, CT; son Walter Fortier and wife Dawn Fortier of Willimantic ,CT. She leaves numerous cherished grandchildren and great-grandchildren who are a constant source of pride and joy in her life. Her grandchildren Hannah Fortier, Spencer Fortier, Kolby Fortier, Kasey Fortier Avery. Kyle Fortier, Kayla Paulovske,Karli Fortier; great grandchildren Karson Fortier, Greyson Fortier, Anderson Fortier Gerrickson Fortier Susan also leaves behind four brothers Matt Perkins, George Perkins ,Jerry Perkins, Sam Perkins and sisters Diane Clark and Juanita Perkins. She was predeceased by a brother Lloyd (Sonny) Perkins and a sister Carol Taylor.

Services will be held at the convenience of the family. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

02/16/2026

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved sister, Nancy Louise McAlee on February 12, 2026, at Hartford Hospital at age 70. Born on September 24, 1955, in Willimantic, CT she grew up in South Coventry and resided in Vernon. She was the daughter of the late Milton B. Zurmuhlen and Marion (Guy) Zurmuhlen Cahill.

Nancy was a graduate of Coventry High School. She received a certificate for Medical Transcription from Manchester Community College. She was not only a sister but a friend to many. Nancy’s favorite pastime was drawing free hand and oil painting on canvas. Her nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews were always a subject of conversations following them all on Facebook. Her spirit will live on in our hearts forever.

Nancy is survived by 3 sisters, Sandi Lizee (Rene), Susan Lizee (Normand), Shirley Burgie (Andrew); a brother Daniel Zurmuhlen (Cheryl); daughter Jessie B. McAlee and many cousins, nieces & nephews, many great nieces & nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Gerry Zurmuhlen.

Graveside services will be held in the Spring. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com

Bacon Funeral Home Willimantic, CT

03/20/2026

03/20/2026

03/16/2026

03/16/2026

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

03/04/2026

02/27/2026

02/21/2026

02/18/2026

02/16/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Compassionate and dignified service for over 100 years.