John George Gatti, 86

John George Gatti, 86, a resident of New Canaan, CT, passed away peacefully in New York, NY, on March 30, 2025, after a long illness. He is survived by his children Stefanie Gatti, Teresa (John) Piontkowski and Joseph John Gatti, and grandchildren John (Jack) George Piontkowski and Tessa Carolina Piontkowski.  His beloved wife Jeannette (Civetta) Gatti predeceased him. John was a native of the Bronx, NY, where he and his wife Jeannette met and raised their family until they moved to New Canaan, CT, in 1993.  John was a longtime building contractor in New York City, through which he enhanced brownstones and improved the cityscape, among other things.  An avid golfer and card player, he had many cherished friends, including especially those at Wykagyl Country Club, the New York Athletic Club, and the Huckleberry Indians, of which he was a member of each for over fifty years. 

John graduated from Salesian High School and attended Villanova University and New York University earning a Bachelor of Science.  He received the Villanova Alumni Medal in 1991 and remained an enthusiastic Wildcat.  He was a generous, supportive and attentive father, grandfather and friend. 

A wake will be held on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Hoyt Funeral Home, 199 Main St., New Canaan, CT 06840.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 11:00 am at the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY, followed by interment.  In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Mattone Institute for Real Estate Law at St. John’s Law School.  Checks should be made payable to St.

Coffee’s on for Thursday

Join fellow residents and NewCanaanite.com editor Michael Dinan for the monthly Community Coffee, to be held 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 3 in the Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium at New Canaan Library. The Coffee is presented in partnership with the library, and the brew is supplied by Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee (thank you, Doug). The free, public coffee is a group conversation about what’s happening around town, moderated by Dinan. Topics come from attendees and we spend no more than 10 minutes per subject. Those who would like to receive a friendly reminder email about the coffee—held the first Thursday of each month—should email Dinan at editor@newcanaanite.com.

Nancy Helle

A spark of joy left the world when Nancy Jane Schuleen Helle, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend to many, passed away on January 25, 2025. Surrounded by the love of her family, she died peacefully in her sleep, leaving a legacy of friendship, music, and caring. An eternal optimist, Nancy was known for her love of pink and red, high fashion, Broadway and Cole Porter music, and a clever turn of phrase. Born in 1933, in West Chester, PA, Nancy was the cherished daughter of Ernest “Red” Schuleen and Beulah “Ruth” Jones, and a devoted human to her wire-haired terrier Snips, whom she adored. Nancy grew up along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, PA, first in Holtwood, where she attended the two room schoolhouse built especially for employees of the Holtwood Dam where her father worked, then later in Safe Harbor, PA, where her father served as General Manager of the Safe Harbor Dam.

Juniper Road Colonial Sells for $3.1 Million

The following property transfer(s) were recorded recently in the Town Clerk’s office. For more information about each property from the assessor, click on the street address. To get the history of a New Canaan street name, click here. ***

March 20

116 Juniper Road

$3.1 million
Niraj Patel to Lauren Greenberg

March 19

31 Marvin Ridge Road

$2,514,365
Marvin Ridge Colonial LLC to Alyna McGeever

72-74 Locust Ave. $1,125,000
Deborah Hayden to SLE Property Management LLC

March 17

24 Orchard Lane

$1.9 million
Estate of Marian Morton Brown AKA Marian Ruth Brown to Lauren Prial

36 Apple Tree Lane

$2,186,500
The Audrey Shahnazarian 2008 Revocable Living Trust to Megan Ashforth

Ingrid O’Reilly, 77

October 2, 1947 – January 20, 2025

Ingrid Elaine O’Reilly (Jones), 77, passed away unexpectedly on January 20, 2025, surrounded by her three children. She was born on October 2, 1947 in New Canann, Connecticut. Ingrid was a strong woman of warmth and grace, whose kindness and infectious laughter touched the lives of everyone she met. Known for her engaging conversations, she often spoke with immense pride about her greatest accomplishment – her children and grandchildren. They were the center of her world, and she cherished every moment with them.