Eugene A. Diserio, a seasonal resident of John's Island, died at his New Canaan, CT, home on Sept. 22nd after a valiant battle with heart disease. He was 81.

Mr. Diserio was born on May 14, 1927, in the Bronx, N.Y. He was the son of the honorable Matthew J. Diserio and Mrs. Irma M. Diserio. He was the godson of then New York City Mayor, Fiorello H. LaGuardia.

He was a graduate of Fordham Preparatory School, Fordham College, and Fordham Law School. He and his wife, Roseanne, met as teenagers and eventually married in June, 1952.

He served as a captain in the United States Air Force, from which he received an honorable discharge in 1953.

Following his military service, Mr. Diserio began his legal career in New York City. After 16 years, he moved his practice to Stamford. In 1983, he and three partners established the firm of Diserio, Martin, O’Conner & Castiglioni.

He was an active and involved civic leader. He was president of the Big Brothers of the Archdiocese of the City of New York and a member of the Cardinal’s Committee of Lay Organizations. He served as a two-term president of the Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center of Southwestern Connecticut. He served on Fleet Bank’s Fairfield County Advisory Board and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Southwestern Area Commerce & Industry Association of Connecticut (SACIA), from which he was twice the recipient of its Special Achievement Award. He was chairman of its Transportation Council, which helped put forward numerous traffic control, car-pooling and commuter improvement initiatives.

Mr. Diserio was a longtime member, a director and two-term president of the New Canaan Field Club. He held positions on the Board of Governors and Executive Committee of the Landmark Club, Stamford.

He and his wife were members of the Woodway Country Club in Darien and the John’s Island Club, where they resided during the winter season since his retirement from active law practice.

In recent years, besides reveling in the company of his family and maintaining his keen interest in national and global affairs, Mr. Diserio developed his talent as a writer of poetry.

In addition to his beloved wife of 56 years, he is survived by his sister, Elaine Schroeder of Scarsdale, N.Y.; three daughters and their spouses,  Eugenie Diserio and Bill Buttenwieser, Lisa and Mark Wolff and Thea and Robert Ross, all of New Canaan, and a son and daughter-in-law, Matthew J. and Vanessa Kagan Diserio of New York City. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren: James, Alex, Andrew and Austin Wolff; Jake Diserio and Luke Buttenwieser, Ariana and Bobby Ross — all of New Canaan — and Olivia, Sophia and Gigi Diserio of New York City.

Friends may call at the Hoyt Funeral Home at 199 Main Street, New Canaan, from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, September 25. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 26, at St. Aloysius Church, Cherry Street, New Canaan.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions in Mr. Diserio’s name may be made to the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 182 South Avenue; New Canaan, CT 06840 and The Yale School of Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, c/o Margaret Lukaszyk, Office of Development, P.O. Box 7611, New Haven, CT 06519.