Royce Degarmo
June 29, 1915 — November 17, 2013
Royce R. DeGarmo a resident of Stamford and former resident of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 17, 2013 in Stamford, Connecticut at the age of 98. She was born on June 29, 1915 in New York City, the only child of the late Charles Francis Kirk and Margurite McDonough Kirk of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Royce graduated from Lakeview High School in Chicago, Illinois and attended Moser Business School in Chicago. Royce is a former member of a Connecticut chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, a sorority service organization in which she was active until 1979. She was a youth center volunteer while her husband was stationed at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine and was briefly employed by the Southington, Connecticut Board of Education and later by J.C. Penney Corp. in West Hartford, Connecticut. She and her husband retired to Florida in 1979 where she was a 25 year member of her local bridge club. Royce was a devoted wife and mother who selflessly inspired her children to achieve so much more in life than circumstance allowed her to realize in her own. During her lifetime, Royce touched many people with her humor and kindness and she will be forever remembered for her warmth and generosity to family and friends. Perhaps her most admirable quality was her capacity to endure in the face of hardship as a military wife in a very turbulent war era in U.S. history. In addition, she was diligent in the home care of her husband for 16 years after a series of strokes left him with diminished capacity. She also refused to leave Florida in the 2004 Florida hurricane season where she was displaced from her home and forced to evacuate four times in a seven month period at the age of 89; in keeping with her optimistic personality, she considered it an opportunity to travel and meet new people. She was no ordinary housewife and she leaves behind an enduring legacy through her family.
In 1999, Royce was pre-deceased by her husband of fifty-six years, Leon B. DeGarmo, Jr., who was a career member of the Army Air Corp./United States Air Force (Strategic Air Command) serving in WWII, Korea, and in the “coldwar”/Vietnam era. She is survived by two children, the Hon. Michelle D. Truglia, a Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commissioner and her husband, the Hon. Anthony D. Truglia, Jr., a Connecticut Superior Court judge, and Charles W. deGarmo and his wife, Dr. Betty Ann Zondag of Florida. Royce leaves behind three grandchildren, Haley Shae and Anthony D. Truglia, III of Connecticut and Christopher R. deGarmo and his wife Janice of Washington, D.C., as well as two great grandchildren, Zoe Lisette and Devon Javier deGarmo of Washington, DC. Royce was also very fond of her two nieces, Patricia Cord and her husband Darl Cord of Kansas and Barbara DeCillis and her husband Alfred DeCillis of New York/Florida, as well as her cousins, Dorothy Badger of Connecticut, John Clemens of Colorado and Paul Clemens of New York.
Royce’s family wishes to express their thanks to The Isles of Vero Beach, Brighton Gardens, St. Camillus Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 2nd Fl. Staff, Fr. Carlos Rodriguez, Sr. Bala, Sr. Anna as well as Wendy Osborne of Solemar Hospice for their patience, love and support while she was under their care. Thank you to the many friends and family members, including Patricia Cord, Eileen and E. Don Smith, Eleanor O’Neill (decd. 01/06/13) and Emily and Ritchie Blumenreider, who religiously wrote to her (some every week) or who sent holiday cards, flowers, food, balloons and photographs, all throughout her retirement and illness. Your love and thoughtfulness meant so much to her and will always be remembered by her family.
There will be no calling hours and graveside funeral services will be private. Interment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to assist the Truglia/DeGarmo family with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675; the Alzheimer’s Association, 2075 Silas Dean Highway, Rocky Hill, CT 06067; or to the A.S.P.C.A., P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20077-7127.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com.
Royce graduated from Lakeview High School in Chicago, Illinois and attended Moser Business School in Chicago. Royce is a former member of a Connecticut chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, a sorority service organization in which she was active until 1979. She was a youth center volunteer while her husband was stationed at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine and was briefly employed by the Southington, Connecticut Board of Education and later by J.C. Penney Corp. in West Hartford, Connecticut. She and her husband retired to Florida in 1979 where she was a 25 year member of her local bridge club. Royce was a devoted wife and mother who selflessly inspired her children to achieve so much more in life than circumstance allowed her to realize in her own. During her lifetime, Royce touched many people with her humor and kindness and she will be forever remembered for her warmth and generosity to family and friends. Perhaps her most admirable quality was her capacity to endure in the face of hardship as a military wife in a very turbulent war era in U.S. history. In addition, she was diligent in the home care of her husband for 16 years after a series of strokes left him with diminished capacity. She also refused to leave Florida in the 2004 Florida hurricane season where she was displaced from her home and forced to evacuate four times in a seven month period at the age of 89; in keeping with her optimistic personality, she considered it an opportunity to travel and meet new people. She was no ordinary housewife and she leaves behind an enduring legacy through her family.
In 1999, Royce was pre-deceased by her husband of fifty-six years, Leon B. DeGarmo, Jr., who was a career member of the Army Air Corp./United States Air Force (Strategic Air Command) serving in WWII, Korea, and in the “coldwar”/Vietnam era. She is survived by two children, the Hon. Michelle D. Truglia, a Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commissioner and her husband, the Hon. Anthony D. Truglia, Jr., a Connecticut Superior Court judge, and Charles W. deGarmo and his wife, Dr. Betty Ann Zondag of Florida. Royce leaves behind three grandchildren, Haley Shae and Anthony D. Truglia, III of Connecticut and Christopher R. deGarmo and his wife Janice of Washington, D.C., as well as two great grandchildren, Zoe Lisette and Devon Javier deGarmo of Washington, DC. Royce was also very fond of her two nieces, Patricia Cord and her husband Darl Cord of Kansas and Barbara DeCillis and her husband Alfred DeCillis of New York/Florida, as well as her cousins, Dorothy Badger of Connecticut, John Clemens of Colorado and Paul Clemens of New York.
Royce’s family wishes to express their thanks to The Isles of Vero Beach, Brighton Gardens, St. Camillus Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 2nd Fl. Staff, Fr. Carlos Rodriguez, Sr. Bala, Sr. Anna as well as Wendy Osborne of Solemar Hospice for their patience, love and support while she was under their care. Thank you to the many friends and family members, including Patricia Cord, Eileen and E. Don Smith, Eleanor O’Neill (decd. 01/06/13) and Emily and Ritchie Blumenreider, who religiously wrote to her (some every week) or who sent holiday cards, flowers, food, balloons and photographs, all throughout her retirement and illness. Your love and thoughtfulness meant so much to her and will always be remembered by her family.
There will be no calling hours and graveside funeral services will be private. Interment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to assist the Truglia/DeGarmo family with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675; the Alzheimer’s Association, 2075 Silas Dean Highway, Rocky Hill, CT 06067; or to the A.S.P.C.A., P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20077-7127.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com.
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