Stephen D. Dargan Scholarship Fund

When it came time to honor Steve Dargan’s life and legacy after the beloved, “larger-than-life” West Haven lawmaker died in April of 2026, his family and friends knew that storytelling had to be the at the center.

“Everyone has got a Dargan story,” his obituary read.

Steve’s longtime friend, Jon Capone, started at the beginning when he took the microphone at the memorial service: he was 12 years old when he first met Steve, in 1967. It was Jon’s first day at St. Lawrence School, and he was to attend the morning church service with his new seventh-grade class – but he was late.

“Every single student turned their head when I walked in,” he remembers, reliving the momentary humiliation. It was his classmate Steve who quickly and memorably stood up, walking the length of the church to usher Jon back to their pews. In that brief exchange, Steve welcomed Jon, gave him some tips about their teacher, and added, “Don’t forget, vote for me for class president!”

While the middle-school election was unofficial, Steve went on to win every election he entered, starting with Fire Commissioner and Councilman of the Second District. He served as state representative of District 115 in West Haven for thirteen terms, stepping down in 2017 to serve on the state's parole board.

“If there was anybody who embodies the spirit of West Haven, it would have been my brother,” said Steve’s older brother Bob. “He was a fire commissioner. He was a representative. He was the coach of the West Haven basketball state championship team in ‘87, and he was the announcer of the West Haven football team for four decades.” It was that last accolade that earned him the title of “the voice of West Haven.”

Throughout his life and career, Dargan exemplified a spirit of service, and seemed to understand what makes relationships – and more broadly, community – really work. A huge part of this skill was his impish sense of humor and his propensity for pranks, but at a deeper level, Dargan loved and understood people.

Sister Mary Faith Dargan, a close friend of Steve’s godmother and aunt,  observed that Steve, like his aunt, had a, “sharp mind, [a] keen sense of humor, and that rare ability to put people at ease while also seeing straight to the heart of things.”

“One of his great talents was making memories,” said Bill Heffernan, state representative for the 115th District, during a tribute on the House floor shortly after Steve’s passing.

“He was a person with a heart of gold, a good sense of humor and a deep understanding of what the people he was sworn to serve needed,” Congressman John Larson said in a social media post that week.

“There aren’t always a lot of people who just make a mark,” said State Senator Bob Duff in an interview with the New Haven Register’s Ken Dixon.

Jim Morrissey, a childhood friend of Dargan’s and his first campaign manager, recalled a man who didn't act for the sake of recognition. “He helped a lot of people behind the scenes,” said . “He wasn’t looking for fanfare. He didn’t care who you were or what title you had; your issue was as important to him as anyone’s. He never took any credit. He just wanted to help people out.”

Dargan was also credited by colleagues for his deep sense of bipartisanship, whether in casual conversation or in command of committee proceedings. “Steve had a way of going about his politics which I very much admired. He had friends on both sides of the aisle,” said Morrissey. Ultimately, “he didn't think politics should be so political; he thought that you should have friendship beyond that.”

In 2026, the Stephen D. Dargan Scholarship Fund was established at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The fund will support students at West Haven High School who exemplify Dargan’s spirit of service and achievement in sports.

The first Stephen D. Dargan Scholarship was awarded to Brianna Madera in 2026, a West Haven High graduate and Varsity Cheerleader who will attend Sacred Heart University.

For Capone and Dargan’s family, the fund helps ensure Dargan’s name, his story and his legacy will live on in perpetuity.

“I hope that when future scholars read about Steve, they might be energized to be similarly community-minded, to go out of the way to help people and to give back, in the way Steve had always done throughout his years,” said Morrissey.