Chris Murray & Diane McCoy: A Second Chance, 43 Years Later
Some love stories unfold quickly. Others take their time—circling back when the moment is right. For Westport’s Chris Murray and Diane McCoy, their story spans decades, continents, careers, and one unforgettable reunion in the very town where it all began.
Chris and Diane first met on the first day of Staples High School in 1966, seated near each other in homeroom thanks to the alphabetical pull of their last names. He was a soccer player and golfer; she was a cheerleader and, as Chris recalls, “the It Girl.” He borrowed her pencil to get her attention—a small gesture that sparked their teenage romance. They dated all through high school before college pulled them in different directions: she to Colorado, he to Florida. Life moved on.
Over the next four decades, their paths diverged dramatically. Diane became an elementary school teacher, then a flight attendant based in Denver, then later out of New York. Chris discovered a passion for theater, acted off-Broadway, moved to Greece, raised two sons, and built a career in film and education before eventually returning to the U.S. Neither expected their story to intertwine again.
But when a job opportunity brought Chris back to Westport, curiosity—and nostalgia—nudged him to search for Diane. A Google search, a voicemail, and eventually a returned call brought them to a simple coffee date that stretched into six hours of effortless conversation. “We connected,” Chris says. “It just flowed.”
Their reconnection blossomed quickly. Engagement at Compo Beach. Marriage at Green’s Farms Congregational Church. A blended life filled with travel, creativity, and the familiar comforts of home.
Today, Chris and Diane live in Westport once again—Chris working on his TV series based on the life of Maria Callas, Diane as a move manager. They enjoy renovating their house, playing golf, tennis, and paddle, skiing in Utah, savoring local restaurants, going to the theater, and returning as often as they can to Compo Beach, the place where their love began and where it found its way back. Turns out, some stories really do come full circle.
Maria & Marc Wium: A Proposal Wrapped in Westport Memories
For Maria DeAngelis, Westport isn’t just a hometown—it’s the thread that stitches together every chapter of her life, including the beginning of her love story with her husband, Marc Wium.
Maria grew up on Old Road, where childhood summers meant Camp Compo: sandy feet, salty skin, and long days under the iconic gray wooden playground her father helped bring to life through the Westport Lion’s Club. Her Westport memories stretch across decades—walking to Arnie’s Arcade, renting movies at Blockbuster, riding her bike to Long Lots Elementary, grabbing candy at Cathy’s Candies, cheering at the Memorial Day parade, and skating winter nights at Longshore. “Compo and Main Street really defined my childhood,” she says.
Her father, a beloved local figure who co-owned Premier Market and the Westport General Store, deepened Maria’s connection to town. Whether fishing on Riverside Avenue or working for Parks & Rec in retirement, he left his mark on nearly every corner of Westport. Even after Maria moved away, the town—especially Compo—remained a place where she felt close to him, especially after he passed away in March of 2017.
So when Marc proposed in 2019, it was fitting that it happened at Compo Beach, just steps from the brick pavilion Maria had known since childhood. Under cotton-candy skies and surrounded by families enjoying the evening, he led her off the sidewalk and dropped to one knee. Later, they took sunset photos in the sand, splashing in the water and posing by the cannons—timeless Westport icons behind a brand-new memory.
Maria and Marc married at Assumption Church, a place woven into her family’s history across generations. After the ceremony, they returned to another meaningful spot: her father’s memorial bench at Longshore, where they captured family photos overlooking the water.
Today, Compo sunsets, Memorial Day parades, dog-friendly beach seasons, and strolls downtown continue to connect Maria and Marc to the place where her roots run deep. Though they no longer live in Westport, she says simply: “It will always be home—steady, nostalgic, and comforting. A place I can’t wait to share with our future family.”
Yvonne & Guy Claveloux: From Staples Sweethearts to Lifelong Westport Partners
For Yvonne and Guy Claveloux, love has always been intertwined with Westport itself. High school sweethearts who now live in the Evergreen neighborhood, the couple—both 60, with two grown daughters and two grandchildren—have built an entire lifetime on the same streets, fields, and beaches where their romance first bloomed. “Westport has been the constant,” Yvonne says. “Every stage of our life together has happened here.”
Their story began at age 15, not through school (Long Lots for him, Bedford for her), but at The Ships—the beloved restaurant where Tiffany & Co. now stands. “That’s where it all started,” Guy recalls. “We were just kids, but something clicked right away.” By sophomore year at Staples, they were inseparable—helping each other through French and algebra, attending every dance together, and building memories that still feel vivid. “The early ’80s gave us so much freedom,” Yvonne says. “We were always together—downtown, at the beach, or grabbing Dairy Queen after school.”
Certain places became anchors in their story. The Staples soccer field—where Guy co-captained a state-championship team and Yvonne never missed a game—created a shared community that followed them into adulthood. “So many of the people from those sidelines ended up standing beside us on our wedding day,” Guy says. Compo Beach, too, is forever theirs: the site of teenage parties, their five-year high school reunion, and the place where they reunited after a brief college breakup. “Compo has always felt like ours,” Yvonne says. At 25 years old, they were married at Assumption Church, celebrating afterward at the Westport Woman’s Club.
Today, nearly every corner of town holds a memory—from Longshore sunsets to Main Street strolls. Yvonne’s vibrant artwork is shaped by the coastal beauty they’ve always shared, while their deep involvement in Westport’s arts, sports, and charitable communities continues to ground them.
If they could tell their teenage selves anything, it would be simple: “You’ve already found your true love,” they say. “In each other—and in Westport.”
Sarah Murphy and Stefaan duPont: Growing Up, Together, in Westport
Sarah and Stefaan’s love didn’t begin with a grand moment—it began quietly, in freshman algebra at Staples. “I don’t even remember if we spoke,” Sarah says. “But that’s where it all started.” Both Westport natives, they moved through high school in parallel circles, sneaking off campus through the same backyard paths without ever crossing. It wasn’t until senior year, brought together by mutual friends and an Environmental Studies class, that something clicked. “By the summer after graduation, I knew how much it mattered,” Stefaan recalls. “I just wanted to know we could stay together.”
Their early memories still make them laugh: sneaking into Burying Hill Beach after hours for a dance party that ended with police calls and both sets of parents meeting for the first time; the night Sarah told Stefaan to tap on her window after curfew—only for her mom to open it instead; and a legendary Block Island day trip when Stefaan, grounded but determined to impress, whisked Sarah onto a ferry at dawn. “My mom was not thrilled,” he laughs. “But it was worth it.”
They moved through life together naturally, never in a rush. College, New York City, and eventually nearly a decade of travel followed—years that reshaped both their relationship and their careers. Sarah, trained in textile design and styling, and Stefaan, with a background in interactive media and advertising, slowly merged their creative worlds into photography and visual storytelling. What began as documenting their travels evolved into a full-time career and a devoted online following on their accounts, @sarahirenemurphy and @sdpnt. There, they share travels from Japan to Patagonia, Oman to Namibia, and everywhere in between. “We just captured what we thought was beautiful,” Sarah says. “Without overthinking it.”
After 18 years as partners, they decided—while painting their house one sweltering July day—to plan a tiny Block Island wedding just two months later, in September 2018. “Sometimes you just need less time and really talented friends,” Sarah says. They scoured flea markets for vintage glassware, built their own barely weatherproof tent, and hoped hurricane season would cooperate. It did.
When COVID halted the travel industry, Westport called them home. Today, with a four-year-old and a baby in their circa-1890 house near Compo Beach, life is beautifully chaotic and deeply rooted. Their next chapter? “Seeing the world through our children’s eyes,” Sarah says—and continuing to document the journey, wherever it leads.