Latest News
David Thorne Bayersdorfer
Aug 27, 2025
SALISBURY — On Aug. 18, 2025, the luckiest man in the world, David Thorne Bayersdorfer, died peacefully at Noble Horizons surrounded, as always, by family and friends. David frequently told all who would listen that he was the luckiest man; to be married to his beautiful wife Nancy; to have two wonderful children, Cara and Jordan; to live in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut, a community he happily called home for more than 50 years; and to teach and coach at a high school he loved.
According to David, his luck began when he was born on May 3, 1946 to Frank and Beatrice Bayersdorfer in Teaneck, New Jersey.He spent his childhood at 231 Queen Anne Road.He loved growing up with his three brothers, John, Frank, and Roger, in Bogota, New Jersey where his early athletic achievements landed him in the Bogota High School Athletic Hall of Fame. As luck would have it, he was admitted to and then graduated from Syracuse University in 1968, setting him on a course to spend most of his adult life as an educator and coach. While at Syracuse, he met and immediately proposed to Nancy Jones of Lakeville, Connecticut. He had to wait for her answer, but after proudly serving his country in the Marine Corps he married Nancy and the happy and lucky couple settled in the Northwest Corner.
David soon found his dream job as a history teacher and football coach at Housatonic Valley Regional High School where he spent the next 33 years of his life, always finding the greatest joy among students and athletes.He wore many hats during his years at Housy, serving as Athletic Director, Vice Principal, and interim Principal as well as enthusiastically coaching football, basketball, golf, and even cheerleading.During this time he received two advanced degrees; a Master’s in secondary education from Central Connecticut State University in 1981 and a 6th year degree from Southern Connecticut State University in 1992.In 2008, he was inducted into the HVRHS Athletic Hall of Fame, which he helped found during his time as Athletic Director.
David found further luck, and shocked his family members, when he tried out and landed his dream role as Joe Boyd in “Damn Yankees” for TriArts in 2000 despite not having any previous acting experience…or talent. He quickly became a local regular treading the boards at the Sharon Playhouse, with notable roles in The Full Monty, Crazy For You, Kiss Me Kate, and My Fair Lady.
As David’s luck continued, he retired from education in 2011 giving him more time for his beloved six grandchildren – Cara and Patrick’s sons Jack, Colin, and Luke, and Jordan and Meghan’s children Nash, Locke, and Nell.He enjoyed perfecting his golf game with regular Wednesday night beatdowns of his good-natured buddies, showing off his milfoil management techniques on the Lake, and making countless but joyful trips to the town dump.He considered himself very lucky to see the world with his adventurous wife, journeying to Italy, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Africa while always acknowledging his love of travel truly started with an epic cross-country drive with his less-than-enthusiastic family in 1990.He looked most forward to his yearly baseball trips with his favorite son Jordan and favorite son-in-law Patrick.
Retirement also allowed David more time to serve his adopted hometown.He proudly acted as Senior Warden at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury for over a decade, won the Community Award of Merit, and was a member of the Democratic Town Committee, Salisbury Central Board of Education, and the Salisbury Planning and Zoning Committee. He served as Chair of the HVRHS 21st Century Fund, helping give teachers and students exciting and innovative opportunities beyond the classroom. He ran the Salisbury Youth Summer Jobs Program which introduced many young people to service within their community.He also taught exhaustively-researched classes at the Taconic Learning Center, continuing his pursuit of knowledge and his love of helping others which he proudly passed down to his daughter Cara, a public-school educator.
It is said of many men: To know him is to love him.While it was true of David, it’s also true that if you had contact with him you knew he loved you. David will be remembered as kind, fun, and ever-so-curious about life, relentlessly celebrating his loved one’s achievements with constant, powerful support. His wife, his children and grandchildren, his many former students and athletes, and his friends and family will miss him dearly.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury. Burial will follow in Salisbury Cemetery. Ryan Funeral Home, Lakeville, is in care of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the HVRHS 21st Century Fund.David would also love it if you watched your children or grandchildren play a ball game, go to a good local play, or have a catch with a friend or loved one in his memory.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
Keep ReadingShow less
John N. Franzese
Aug 27, 2025
CANAAN — John N. Franzese, was born on Dec. 10, 1947, and died on Aug. 22, 2025, at age 77.
John was born and raised in Huntington, New York. He served in the United States Army, stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. He rejoined the Army Reserves, serving for seventeen years, rising to the rank of Staff Sargent E7.
John is survived by his wife of forty-five years, Mary B. Franzese. He was the father of John L. Franzese, of Seoul, Korea, and the stepfather of Christine Zoro, of Boston, Theresa Zoro, of Brooklyn, and the grandfather of Wyeth and Olive Billinger. He is also survived by his beloved sister, Terry Kirillin; brother-in-law, Alex Kirillin; and nephews, Gregory and Michael Kirillin. He was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather.
John moved to Millerton, New York, in 1985 with his family to work at Sharon Hospital as a Radiological Technologist, helping to operate the newly acquired diagnostic imaging machine (CT scan). He eventually became the Chief Technologist of the Radiology Department at Sharon Hospital and later worked at and retired from Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, New York. He retired in 2009, moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and then returned to the area almost four years ago, residing at Geer Lodge in Cannan, to be closer to his family.
John was an active golfer and golf enthusiast who also made custom golf clubs for people in the tri-state area. John was also an excellent cook and will be remembered fondly for his famous Italian cooking and cocktails. His hospitality and generosity were often evident around the dinner table and during many celebrations, where he and Mary would host and entertain with warmth and generosity of spirit. He loved motorcycles, watching golf, cooking shows, and movies. His passion for healthcare and helping people was integral to his profession and purpose. He was kind and generous with advice, support, and friendship.
A Celebration of John’s life will be held Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, at Geer Lodge, Hollenbeck Room, from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The North Cannan Volunteer Ambulance Corps at https://www.northcanaanems.org/donations or the Residents Association of Geer Gratuity Fund. Checks can be made out to the Geer Residents Gratuity Fund and mailed to: 77 South Canaan Road, Canaan, CT 06018.
Keep ReadingShow less
Manny Matsudaira, the youngest of the Matsudaira clan, was the 2025 valedictorian of Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
Patrick L. Sullivan
CORNWALL — “Matsudaira” can be translated from Japanese to mean “peaceful pine,” evoking a sense of enduring strength that reaches great heights.
The Matsudaira family of Cornwall has embodied this symbolism with a stream of six successful children.
Rachel Matsudaira, a current counselor at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, is the mother of six children who each attended the school. Her husband, Yoshihiro Matsudaira, died earlier this year before their youngest son graduated as HVRHS’s 2025 valedictorian.
The family resided in Japan for twelve years doing missionary work before receiving a grant to come back to the United States. They landed in Connecticut and began to thrive.
At HVRHS, each child placed in the top percentile of their classes and five of the six became either valedictorian or salutatorian.
While there were many factors that led to her children’s success, Matsudaira spoke of a few she felt were most important.
Firstly, the children were all raised close together as a family unit rather than as individuals, and looked to each other for inspiration and instruction. “The oldest one sets the pace, the tone, and they kind of all follow in suit,” Matsudaira explained. After her oldest son became valedictorian, the others also began to view that as a goal.
Many of their extracurricular activities were family oriented, such as every kid playing the same sports, which helped manage taking care of such a large family.
The family was raised to deeply value their Christian faith, reading the Bible daily and living by its scripture. One of their favorite verses is, “Do your best unto the Lord,” as it establishes a set of expectations for each child, not backed by just the parents’ wishes but by God himself.
Matsudaira also spoke of the multicultural influences on her strategy of raising her family. Not only did she live in Japan, she also met many other international Christians during her time there, allowing her children to experience a “third culture.” She was able to pick and choose strategies from the many cultures she encountered to raise her family the way she believed was best.
All having entered adulthood, the Matsudairas are now spread across the U.S. but still keep in close contact with each other.
Matthew, the eldest, lives in Florida, and works both as a consultant and as an independent oil painter.
Marina, the second oldest, attended Harvard University and tutors kids alongside her full-time job as a stay-at-home mom to three children of her own.
Manuella, or Ella, graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in architecture and is preparing for her architectural exams while, like her brother, oil painting.
Micah just received his degree from Springfield College and has moved to Boston, managing a gym and using his exercise science to manage sports facilities.
Melody is a rising junior at Davidson College, studying biology and tentatively interested in cancer research and treatment, or perhaps osteopathy.
The youngest, Manasseh, or Manny, is attending Harvard, potentially majoring in economics and environmental policy.
To those who are also raising children or considering it, Matsudaira advises thinking about the big questions. “There are so many things we think we value. I say this from experience that we don’t actually value it,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of forming relationships with other people. It is the close relationships you have, such as the bonds between her family, that will support you in times of need.
“Make your relationships right, become the person that you’re going to value and that leads to a good legacy. You don’t have to be famous.”
Keep ReadingShow less
Cynthia Gene Duntz
Aug 27, 2025
SALISBURY — Cynthia “Cindy” Gene Duntz, born on Nov. 2, 1955, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Aug. 19, 2025, in Albany, New York. She was 69 years old.
Cynthia devoted her life to caring for others through her work as a Certified Nurse’s Aide. Her dedication and compassion made a meaningful difference in the lives of those she served throughout her career.
Cynthia found joy in the simple pleasures of life—gardening, cooking, baking, and spending cherished time with her family, especially her grandchildren. These moments brought warmth to her days and to those around her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Wesley and Kay Baker, and her husband, Gary Duntz Sr.
Cynthia is lovingly remembered by her children; Gary Duntz Jr., Loretta Duntz, and Heather Enslow; six grandchildren, Billie (Ryan) Thitchener-Jeannin, Ashley (Brandon) Bartnicki, Joshua Duntz, Alexyss Duntz, Chase Bonhotel, and Tyler Bonhotel; and three great-grandchildren, Dalton and Sawyer Jeannin, and Juliette Bartnicki. She also leaves behind her life partner, Otis Byrd Jr.; two sisters, Evelyn Macaulay and Susie Surrilo; two brothers, John Baker and Tony Baker; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Her presence will be deeply missed by all who knew her. May her memory bring comfort and peace to those she touched.
In keeping with her wishes, there will be no calling hours. A celebration of life to be held at a later date.
Keep ReadingShow less
loading
