Stephen D. Dargan

Stephen D. Dargan of West Haven, 71, entered into rest after a courageous battle with cancer on April 22, 2026, surrounded by family and close friends. Stephen was born on March 29, 1955 and is survived by his siblings, Robert S. (Joanne) Dargan III, Timothy P. (Debra) Dargan, Mary Margaret Dargan, nieces and nephews, Sean R. (Denise) Dargan, Brian P. Dargan, Caitlin A. (Timothy) Neal, Shannon M. Dargan, Daniel P. Dargan, grand nieces and nephews, Claire, Pierce, Vivian, Caroline, Reagan, and Declan, his Godmother, Virginia (Dargan) Doyle, and predeceased by his parents, Robert S. Dargan Jr. and Margaret Glacken Dargan. 

Born in West Haven, Stephen graduated from West Haven High School in 1973, where he ran track. He attended Quinnipiac University, where he played basketball and baseball. A lifelong Westie, Steve Dargan was the epitome of giving back to the community. Along with being an assistant coach on West Haven High’s boys’ basketball state championship team in 1987, Dargan was well-known as the voice of West Haven High football, serving as the Blue Devils’ public address announcer for four decades. 

Steve began his political career as Fire Commissioner and Councilman of the Second District. A former 13-term State Representative who served as a co-chair of the General Assembly’s Public Safety and Security Committee, he served on the Gaming Policy Task Force and the Private Security Personnel Task Force. In one of the highlights of Dargan’s career, he was the state’s first elected official to serve in a CIA counterterrorism unit after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the country. He went on to serve the wider state as a member of the Board of Parole and Pardons. 

Stephen has been a member of several associations and has received numerous awards over the years, notably the Notre Dame Knights of Honor Award, Irishman of the Year for the City of West Haven, the West Haven Twilight League Susan Gilbert Courage Award, and was inducted into the West Haven High School Athletic Hall of Fame (Tinker Blake Community Service Award). 

The family would like to thank Dr. David Schoenfeld of Smilow Hospital for his compassion and guidance. 

Numerous accolades from those who were close friends and colleagues remember Steve for his energy and bipartisanship, describing him as larger than life, smart as a whip with a heart of gold, and hard working with a great sense of humor. Everyone has got a Dargan story. 

The hours for visitation will take place on Friday May 1, 2026, from 4 to 8 pm at the West Haven Funeral Home at the Green. On Saturday morning, May 2, a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Holy Infant Church at 10 o'clock.

Live streaming of the Mass is provided on YouTube, courtesy of Linda Richetelli: www.youtube.com.

Interment will follow in St. Lawrence Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Stephen D. Dargan Scholarship Fund, One McDonough Plaza, West Haven, CT. 06516. Attention: Joe Morrell.

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