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Paul A. Strassmann, 96

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Paul A. Strassmann, who survived Nazi occupation as a teenage resistance fighter to become one of the world’s foremost authorities on information management and the first Director of Defense Information for the Pentagon, and Chief Information Officer of NASA, died on Friday at his home in New Canaan, CT. He was 96. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Strassmann held executive positions at General Foods, Kraft, and Xerox before being appointed as the first Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense in 1991, and CIO of NASA in 2002. Throughout his extensive career, he championed the concept that information should be measured and managed as a crucial corporate asset — a revolutionary idea when he first began advancing it in the 1960s. He developed methods for calculating “return on management” and “information productivity.”

A prolific author, and influential thinker and public speaker, he wrote 9 books and over 500 articles.

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Pamela Kelly Jennings, 77

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Pamela Kelly Jennings, a devoted mother and wife, died on April 7th at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida. Pam was 77. 

Pam was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia. Pam and Jay, her husband and best friend of 55 years, raised three sons and built a family life filled with love, service, and community in both Westchester and Fairfield Counties. 

Pam served as co-president of the Auxiliary Board of St. Vincent’s Hospital, Westchester, and contributed to various committees at Iona Grammar School and Fordham Preparatory School. Pam’s true passion was being a dedicated mother, adoring wife, cherished grandmother and selfless friend—roles she embodied with unwavering grace. 

Known for her warmth and light, Pam was a natural presence in every room—always offering a smile, a kind word, and a sense of belonging.

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Michael J. McDonagh, 81

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July 15th, 1943 – April 5th, 2025

With profound sadness and unwavering faith, we announce the passing to heaven of Michael Joseph McDonagh, 39-year New Canaan Resident, on Saturday April 5th, 2025, with his wife of 56 years, Jeanne, by his side. His legacy will live on through his loving family; his wife Jeanne, his son; Sean Michael McDonagh (Laura) of Pittsford, NY, his three daughters; Michelle McDonagh Baxter (David) of Princeton, NJ, Christine McDonagh Conroy of Pelham, NY, and Katie McDonagh Small (Jonathan) of New Canaan, CT, and his nine adoring grandchildren, who he lovingly referred to as the littlest pickles; William, Brook, May, Bernadette ”Bea”, Ava, Michael, Jack, Blake, and Duke. Michael was born on July 15th, 1943, in the Riverdale section of the Bronx to proud parents Anne and Michael J McDonagh from county Mayo, Ireland. Michael was their fourth child of five and their first son, and grew up alongside his three older sisters, Mary, Anne, and Bernadette, and his younger brother, William “Billy”.  As a young man, Michael worked in his father’s Irish pub on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, learning the value of hard work, honing his people skills and discovering his love of community. He graduated from Cardinal Farley Military Academy in 1962.

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John George Gatti, 86

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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.

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Nancy Helle

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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.