Obituaries

Vera Louise Batha

Vera Louise Batha of Darien died Sunday, July 4, at Stamford Hospital. She was 64.

Born in Bayside, Queens, on July 5, 1945, she was the daughter of John and Marie Batha,

After graduating from Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in science and marketing, Ms. Batha went on to become a success in the retail industry, working in wholesaling and importing for Ancena Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio, and Foxmore Casuals in New York City. Her real passion, however has always been gardening.

A long-time Darien resident, Ms. Batha was active throughout the town, serving on the board of Friends of Sellecks Woods and as a volunteer for the Person-to-Person Scholarship Committee. She also co-owned Jack & Jill of Darien, a children's consignment boutique formerly located on the Post Road.

Survivors include her sister, Marie Anderson, of Kentfield, Calif., and her daughter, Victoria Batha, of Darien.

A funeral service will be held today (Friday), July 9, at 1 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1864 Post Road, Darien.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, at 801 Roeder Road, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Jeffrey Dale Cropsey

Jeffrey Dale Cropsey, a resident of New Canaan for 24 years, died Monday, July 5. He was 67.

Born Aug. 13, 1942, in Flint, Mich., Mr. Cropsey was the son of the late Helen Indergaard Cropsey and Dale V. Cropsey of Beverly Hills, Calif. He spent his childhood in Suttons Bay, Mich., his mother's hometown. Later, the family moved to Evansville, Ill., and from there to Princeton, Ind., before finally moving to Beverly Hills, where he attended high school. During the summers, he attended Culver Military Academy where he grew to love sailing.

In 1964, he received his BSE in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University, graduating with honors. While at Princeton, he was a dedicated member of the marching band, attending all but one football game. He also enjoyed being a DJ at the university radio station. In 1966, he received his MBA from Stanford University in operations and systems analysis and began working for North American Rockwell. When opportunities in the aerospace industry became limited in the late 1960s, he transitioned to public accounting.

During the next 18 years, Mr. Cropsey worked first for Deloitte & Touche (Touche Ross & Co.), New York, N.Y., and Phoenix, Ariz., and then KPMG (Peat Marwick Main & Co.), New York, N.Y. He was made partner at both firms. While at Touche Ross, he spent two years as a practice fellow with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) where he met his wife, Betsy Hollowell. Their first home was in Darien. They moved to New Canaan in 1986 shortly after the birth of their son, Jeffrey Dale Cropsey. Their second son, Jonathan Earl Cropsey, died in infancy.

During the years between 1990 and 2000, he held the positions of senior vice president, CFO and member of the board of directors for two New York based re-insurance companies. Then he returned to the FASB, where he has advised and worked on insurance related projects.

At the time of his death, he was working on the Insurance Contract project, a joint effort between the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) based in London, to conform United States and international insurance accounting and reporting standards.

Mr. Cropsey was a member of Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien, where he enjoyed participating in the Men's Bible Study and beach services during the summer. He was a devoted husband to Betsy and loving father to his son, Jeffrey.

In addition to his wife and son, survivors include his niece, his aunt and uncle, and many cousins.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. today (Friday), July 9, at Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien. A celebration of his life, conducted by the Rev. Gregory Doll, will be held Saturday, July 10, at 11 a.m at Noroton Presbyterian Chapel, 2011 Post Road, Darien. Internment will follow at Lakeview Cemetery in New Canaan.

Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the American Cancer Society, 372 Danbury Road, Suite 159, Wilton, CT 06897.

Louise Eleanor Davis Jenson

Louise E. Jenson died at her home in Harpswell, Maine, on June 16, surrounded by her family and caregivers. She was 96.

Born Nov. 21, 1913, in Oswego, N.Y., she was the sixth child of Frances McGregor and Allan W. Davis. She attended college in Oswego and completed her master's degree at New York University.

She married Bentley H. Jenson in Oswego and they both had teaching careers in New York and Darien. Mrs. Jenson especially loved early childhood education at the nursery school and kindergarten levels.

She and her extended family and friends liked to spend summers at their family camp in Sharbot Lake, Ontario, Canada. After retirement, she traveled extensively in the United States and abroad. She adored all animals, loved to read and enjoyed dining out.

Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Lawrence and Jo Anne Jenson of St. Augustine, Fla., and Picton, Ontario, Canada; daughter and son-in-law, Lu and Bob Jump, of Harpswell, Maine; and her grandchildren, Leslie Jenson Oertner of Manassas, Va., Bentley Charles Jenson of Bangkok, Thailand, Kelly Jump of Bloomfield, N.J., Brian Jump of Scottsdale, Ariz.,; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents, all of her siblings and her husband.

At her request, the family will hold a celebration of her life at her camp in Sharbot Lake later this summer.

Charitable contributions may be made to Orr's -- Bailey Islands Rescue, PO Box 177, Orr's Island, ME 04066, or the charity of your choice.