Occupation: I've been retired for 25 years now. I was president of Qualitron Corporation in Danbury, which I founded with three partners. We sold to Perkin Elmer in 1984. We had two divisions. One manufactured photomasks and in the other we manufac
Occupation: Iâve been retired for 25 years now. I was president of Qualitron Corporation in Danbury, which I founded with three partners. We sold to Perkin Elmer in 1984. We had two divisions. One manufactured photomasks and in the other we manufactured miniature printed circuits for the electronics industry.
Family: I have three daughters and a son. A fourth daughter died ten years ago. I have 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. They are scattered all over, in California, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Vermont. My wife, Phyllis, was a teacher at Middle Gate School. She died six years ago.
Pets: I have a 10-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Oliver, and until recently, Molly, an Airedale terrier.
How long have you lived in Newtown? Iâve been here 43 years. We came here from Rochester, N.Y., via Hamden.
What do you like to do in your free time? Around 30 years ago, I started to do a lot of photography and over the years I have accumulated around 150,000 photographs. Two years ago I undertook to arrange them into albums, 300 in each. The end is not in sight. I also golf at Ridgewood in Danbury in good weather. Iâve been golfing with Gene Previdi for 37 years. I do some reading and I like to travel.
What are you reading now? Recently, I read Halseyâs Typhoon by Robert Drury and Tom Clavin, and Iâm reading Ike by Michael Korda, The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw, Doom by Dafydd ab Hugh, and Sea of Thunder by Evan Thomas.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? I just returned a few weeks ago from Tahiti on a trip on a clipper ship. We went to six different islands. Bora Bora was very unique. It just comes straight up out of the ocean. In 2007, I went to Antarctica. We were there when the passengers of the cruise ship that sank, The Explorer, were being rescued. My son-in-law made the arrangements for those trips. He traveled with me to Antarctica and he and my daughter, Gay, went to Tahiti. I just canceled a trip for June, an 18-day train trip across Siberia, and another in September on a clipper ship in the Mediterranean. I decided I donât want to spend that kind of money right now.
What is the biggest change you have seen in Newtown? In more recent times, the building of so many really fine homes. And the increased cost of living here. But thatâs pretty much universal, living in the Northeast.
What is the best thing about Newtown? Except for the Borough area, I envision Newtown as quite rural. I feel like I live in the country, but all of my needs are right around the corner or within five miles. I also have a lot of respect for some key people in town: Kathy Geckle, Carol Mattegat, Mae Schmidle, and Paul Mangiafico. Iâve worked with them and they are âdoers.â
Do you have a personal philosophy? Fill the day. I usually plan my day so that Iâm not going to have enough time to finish all of what Iâm doing.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? Donât wait. It may be too late.