OBITUARY RICHARD WILLIAM. ELLIS

 

     Richard (Dick) W. Ellis died on November 3, 2010 in Covenant Village Nursing Home in Cromwell, Connecticut of complications from Parkinson's desease.   Born in Philadelphia he grew up in Weathersfield, CT, graduating from its high school.  He majored in government at Dartmouth, was a member of Theta Chi and served on the Winter Carnival Committee.  After graduation he went to work for the Travelers Insurance Company in July, married Susan Adams in October and enlisted in the U. S. Coast Guard in November.  After two years of active duty, he resumed his employment at Travelers where he stayed for four decades, retiring in 1991 as a Division Vice-President in its Group Insurance Department.  Dick remained active in the Coast Guard Reserve before retiring in 1972 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. 

He was the father of five children and served 12 years on his home town school board, the last four as chairman.   He was a member of the First Church of Christ since 1946 and served as a deacon.

After his retirement from Travelers he coached the Trinity College Women's softball team for five years, as well as Weathersfield Little League teams and Senior League.  Susan died in March 2010.  Dick is survived by sons David, Michael and Peter, daughter Jennifer and nine grandchildren.  A fourth son, Richard III, predeceased him. 

At matriculation we had two classmates named Richard William Ellis, one from Connecticut and the other from Massachusetts.  Now we have none.