Avril Marilyn Westmoreland of Stratford, age 79, daughter of the late Stratford Town Councilman Edmond A. Dorne and Minnie F. Dorne, passed away November 03, 2010 in Lord Chamberlain Health Care Center, Stratford. Born April 20, 1931 in Fairfield, Ms. Westmoreland moved with her family to Stratford in 1941, and graduated magna cum laude from Stratford High School in 1949. She began an extensive journalism career as feature editor of the school newspaper, The Clarion, went on to work as a Junior Post correspondent for the Bridgeport Post and, later, as a writer for the Stratford News. In 1968, Ms. Westmoreland began a 23-year career with the former Post Publishing Company, as a general assignment reporter for the Bridgeport Post for 17 years and an editorial writer/opinion columnist for six years. In early 1988, she was the recipient of a Second Place Award presented by the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists, for an Op-Ed Page opinion column. She took an early retirement from the newspaper in the fall of that year and spent one-year editing news copy for Hometown Publications newspapers. She was the author of the book Newspaper People You Have to Love Them (If you don't they will spell your name wrong). Then followed eight years as public relations specialist with the Jewish Center for Community Services, and in 1997, Ms. Westmoreland was named public relations director at the Barnum Museum, from which she retired in 2002. The first woman to be named to the Stratford Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners, Ms. Westmoreland also was the first female to be elected chairman of the commission. In addition, she served one term on the Stratford Housing Partnership and several terms on the Stratford Beautification Committee. A member of the Stratford-based Sawdust Clown, Alley 66, a local chapter of clown of America International, Inc,. for nearly 20 years and known as "Ruffles the Clown," Ms. Westmoreland served three years as the group's president, one year as vice president, two years as secretary, and several years on the board of directors and as the alley's newsletter editor and public relations officer. In addition, she was a former president of the Stratford Shakespeare Civitan Club and the Women's Guild of Lordship Community Church and former member of Connecticut Press Women. In 2004 Ms. Westmoreland was named a Women of Distinction by the Girl Scouts Housatonic Council. Most recently she was Public Relations Director at Sterling House Community Center. Survivors include two daughters: Kathleen Carlisle and her husband, Douglas of Hamden, Lauren Kerilla of Stratford and a son, John T. Westmoreland of Covington, GA and is pre-deceased by her daughter Marcia Gallant. Additional survivors include her brother, Donald Dorne of Stratford, eight grandchildren: Matthew Stosse and his wife Betty Jo of Westbrook, Rebecca Stosse of Newtown, Elizabeth Stosse of Naugatuck, Kimberly Gallant of Naugatuck, Michael Gallant Jr. of Stratford, Sara Kerilla and Stephanie Kerilla, both of Stratford and Renata Westmoreland of Mc Kinleyville, CA three great-grandsons, Phillip Gallant of Naugatuck, Benjamin Stosse of Westbrook, and Robert Solsbury of Naugatuck. Funeral services will take place on Saturday November 6th at 10 a.m. in the Adzima Funeral Home 50 Paradise Green Place Stratford, with Rev. Meg Williams officiating. Interment will be in St. John's Cemetery Stratford. Friends may call on Friday from 4-7 p.m.