This week’s list of recent property transfers includes the purchase of a home on the western side of town by Gigi Fernandez and Jane Geddes—standouts in professional tennis and golf, respectively, both of whom now work in Stamford (more on Fernandez and Geddes below).
Though New Canaanite could not immediately reach them for comment, here’s a warm “Welcome to New Canaan” to our new neighbors.
Recent property transfers in New Canaan
The following information is drawn from property transfers recorded in the New Canaan Town Clerk’s office as well as information supplied by the Assessor.
250 Dan’s Highway (not far from the Laurel Reservoir and the old Dantown)
- $1,335,000 (conveyed March 12)
- Oakes Ames to Charles E. & Jay B. Palmer
- Property last sold $380,000 in July 1984
- $800,000 (conveyed March 14)
- Hughlyn F. Fierce to Vigay Prasad
- Property last sold $450,000 in December 1992
72 Shady Knoll Lane
- $1,595,000 (conveyed March 7)
- John J. McGinty to Gigi Fernandez & Jane Geddes
- Property last sold $799,000 in January 2001
Fernandez and Geddes will be known to many New Canaanites, as each is working at high-profile sports organizations in neighboring Stamford: Fernandez is Chelsea Piers director of tennis and Geddes is senior vice president of talent relations and development at WWE.
Profiled in this 2010 New York Times article, here are some career bullet points for both Fernandez (from the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum page) and Geddes (from the Ladies Professional Golf Association or LPGA page).
Fernandez
- Captured 68 career titles in women’s doubles.
- Attained the No. 1 ranking several times in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Earned Olympic gold medals at both the 1992 and 1996 games.
- Won at least one Grand Slam title every year from 1988 – 1997, except 1989, and for three straight years won three of the four Grand Slam doubles titles in the same year (1992 – 1994).
- Won 17 major doubles titles, including five consecutive French Open titles (1991 – 1995, 1997), five US Open titles (1988, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996), four Wimbledon titles (1992 – 1994, 1997) and two at the Australian Open (1993, 1994).
- Member of the U.S. Fed Cup Team, she helped lead her team to victory twice (1990, 1996).
- (Note, as Fernandez says in a bio on her own website: “Her proudest accomplishment, however, is becoming a mom of twins Madison and Karson on April 7th 2009.”)
Geddes
- Recognized during the LPGA’s 50th Anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA’s top-50 players and teachers.
- In 1997, crossed the $3 million mark in career earnings after the season-opening HEALTHSOUTH Inaugural, where she placed fourth; tied her career-low round of 64 during the second round of the Diet Dr Pepper National Pro-Am, where she tied for fifth.
- In 1993, won the Oldsmobile Classic for her 10th career LPGA title.
- In 1992, carded her first LPGA career hole-in-one during the third round of the Welch’s Classic; tied for sixth at the Standard Register PING.
- In 1991, won two titles—the Jamaica Classic and the Atlantic City Classic; lost to Deb Richard in a sudden-death playoff at the Phar-Mor in Youngstown.
- In 1987, her best year, was in the major awards race with Ayako Okamoto and Betsy King; won five tournaments, including sudden-death playoff victories over Cathy Gerring at the Women’s Kemper Open and over Robin Walton at the GNA/Glendale Federal Classic.
- In 1986, captured her first victory at the U.S. Women’s Open after an 18-hole playoff against Sally Little, which makes Geddes one of 14 players in history to claim the U.S. Women’s Open as her first LPGA title; the following week, won the Boston Five Classic for her second victory; Geddes, Meg Mallon, Se Ri Pak and Louise Suggs are the only players in LPGA history to have won an event immediately after their U.S. Women’s Open triumph.
New Canaan is home to several major figures in the sports world, including former pro athletes Terry Hanratty and Pat Garrity—both coaching youth sports here—as well as sports journalists Mike Lupica and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo.