O’Donnell, Kovacs, Gardner: Recent Death Notices From Newtown

NEWTOWN, CT — Recent death notices from Newtown.

Robert Kyle Vogel, 85, died Oct. 31, 2025, after a career spanning naval service aboard multiple submarines, work with IBM and UPS that included earning a patent in freight-tracking technology, and years of volunteering with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and local libraries, while pursuing lifelong interests in boating, reading, history, and travel.

Frank Gardner, 86, died Nov. 10, 2025, after a career in engineering that included work aboard a missile-tracking ship and three decades at Norden Systems, followed by a landscaping business rooted in his forestry background, and years spent mentoring youth, coaching softball, volunteering with the Newtown Lions Club and Faith Food Pantry, and pursuing his passions for gardening, environmental advocacy, travel, outdoor photography, and tending the wildlife around his backyard pond.

Richard Thomas Kovacs, 87, died Oct. 8, 2025, after a 13-year U.S. Air Force career with tours across several continents, founding and operating Kovacs Construction Corporation, and dedicating decades to civic service through the Newtown Lions Club, Newtown FISH, the FAITH Food Pantry, local charitable organizations, and his church, while enjoying travel and maintaining a well-known sense of humor and community-minded spirit.

Vincent Paul O’Donnell, 92, died Oct. 5, 2025, after serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, completing a 35-year career with Kraft Foods as a senior account supervisor, excelling as a basketball and fast-pitch softball player, officiating multiple sports for more than two decades, coaching and supporting youth athletics through the Catholic Youth Organization, and enjoying hosting gatherings, following New York sports teams, and sustaining a lifelong passion for community involvement.