There were decorated bikes galore … All photos by M. Shoemaker.
OLD LYME—It was a beautiful day for a parade and yet again, Sound View put its best foot forward with a wonderful one. The crowds came out to join the celebration featuring decorated bikes, a cheery band, esteemed veterans, local dignitaries and much more. Awards were presented in categories including best-decorated bike or wagon, most patriotic outfit, best float, and funniest outfit.
There was patriotic music …
Looking out toward Long Island Sound, the flag at the foot of Hartford Ave. was appropriately saluted.
Uncle Sam and Mr. Eagle joined the happy throng …
Awards were presented …
And still more awards, this one presented by Gail Fuller, rounded off another memorable parade.
The Sound View Beach Association (SVBA) hosts the parade. It is an all- volunteer, non-profit, civic organization, which owns and manages the Shoreline Community Center and also provides the flags in the Sound View area.
Everyone is invited to join or help. The SVBA welcomes new members, volunteers and donations—all donations are tax deductible and the SVBA is registered for “matching gift” grants with many companies.
Celebration of Life to be held Monday, Aug. 25, 2 p.m., at First Congregational Church of Old Lyme
Jennifer Griswold Hillhouse
OLD LYME—Jennifer Griswold Hillhouse died in her sleep at home in Old Lyme, Connecticut, on June 7, 2025. She was 92.
Jennifer was the daughter of Dr. Matthew and Charlotte Griswold. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut on March 18, 1933, and grew up in New Haven, where her father was an attending physician at Yale University.
She attended the Foote School in New Haven through eighth grade and graduated from the Madeira School in Virginia in 1950. She attended Smith College in Massachusetts until her marriage to Frank W. Smith, a Marine Corps officer and Yale graduate (1950) in 1953. The marriage ended in divorce three years later.
Through mutual friends, she met Dr. Theodore R. Hillhouse (Ted), a widower dentist. He had three sons from his first marriage; she had two daughters from hers. They wed in 1959, and Ted and his boys moved to Jennifer’s home in Old Lyme. Within three years, there were two more boys, raising the number of children to seven, in a classic yours-mine-ours family with the ensuing chaos.
With the family growing up, she acted on a longtime desire to work in health care when she enrolled at Mitchell College, a private college in New London, to study nursing. She received a registered nurse degree in 1978 and was immediately hired at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London. A family emergency caused her to resign from the hospital earlier than expected, but she carried her skill set to Old Lyme’s South End Ambulance Association, where she volunteered, as an EMT and later as a driver, for many years. Her nursing skills and care were also put to use at Red Cross community blood drives (to which she donated 18 gallons of her own in her lifetime).
Jennifer was a community treasure. Following the example of her father, she worked tirelessly to serve and improve the community. She was named Old Lyme Citizen of the Year the first time, in 1970, for creating a town recycling program. She was Citizen of the Year again in 1989, this time for a “lifetime of service to our community that will stand as a beacon of leadership through personal sacrifice and example.”
Her wide-ranging environmental and related interests included natural scenic and historical land conservation, through what is now the Old Lyme Land Trust, and osprey restoration and raptor migration tracking. She also volunteered at the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library and BookCellar, the Old Lyme Historical Society, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, and the New London Maritime Society and Customs House. She was a stalwart supporter of animal welfare programs such as Forgotten Felines (for a time, she had 24 adopted cats).
Jennifer was predeceased by her husband, Ted Hillhouse. Survivors include her brother Matthew Griswold; her children, Helen H. Townsend (husband Rhys Townsend), Margaret Hillhouse (husband Steve Patterson), Matthew G. Hillhouse, and Michael C. Hillhouse (wife Aretha Matthis); stepchildren Kenneth N. Hillhouse, Richard J. Hillhouse (wife Virginia) and James W. Hillhouse (wife Starr, deceased April 2025); six grandchildren and step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Old Lyme Land Trust (PO Box 163, Old Lyme, CT 06371) or the Old Lyme Historical Society Inc. (PO Box 352, Old Lyme, CT 06371).
A celebration of life will be held on Monday, August 25, 2025 at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. A reception will follow at the community meeting room behind the church.
The family would like to thank Hospice for care provided for the last five months.
Gary William Mislick, 83, of Sebastian FL, Old Lyme and Deep River, CT, passed away in Florida on June 12, 2025. He was born in Deep River, CT in 1942 to Walter and Phebe (Sheffield) Mislick . Gary attended Valley Regional High School where he played basketball and was selected as his class president for several years before moving to Avon Old Farms School where he switched to the sport of baseball until his graduation …
They moved back to Deep River, CT where they built a great family life together …
Gary is preceded in death by his parents Walter and Phebe, along with his step-mother, Shirley (Sheffield) Mislick and his brother Jeffrey Mislick. He was also preceded in death by his beloved pets among which his black labrador, Koty, who truly stole his heart. He is survived by his wife Georgia, his sister Judith, his brother Randolph and wife Kelley. He was a loving father to his son, Gary Walter, son Curt and wife Jennifer Grannata , daughter Virginia “Ginny” (Mislick) King and husband Tim, and grandson Carson …
Visitation was held at Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main Street in Centerbrook, CT on Friday, June 20, 2025 from 5-7pm. A funeral service was held at the Deep River Congregational Church, 1 Church Street in Deep River, CT on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 1pm. Burial followed in the Winthrop Cemetery, Route 80 in Winthrop, CT. In lieu of flowers, Gary would have appreciated donations made to any of the following: Deep River Fire Dept., Old Lyme Ambulance Assoc. or Valley Shore Animal Welfare League.
A Celebration of Gary’s Life will be held in Sebastian, Florida at a time yet to be determined. To share a memory of Gary or send a condolence to his family please visit www.rwwfh.com
NIANTIC, CT—Patricia Taptick, of Niantic CT passed away on June 30, 2025. She was the widow of Michael J. Taptick, Jr, who predeceased her in 2006. They had been married for 50 years.
Patricia was born on October 11, 1937, in Norwalk, CT, the daughter of Louis Kish and Ella Kenez Kish.
Patty spent her entire life caring for her family with all that was in her. She worked in a variety of customer service jobs over the course of her life, bringing smiles to all who knew her. She loved cooking for a crowd and singing, especially the music of the 1940s and 50s. Patty was extremely proud of her Hungarian ancestral roots and spent many happy hours reminiscing about her youth.
She served steadfastly as a much-loved receptionist at Lyme-Old Lyme High School from 2007 through 2014,
Patricia is survived by her three children Susan P. Fogliano and her husband Michael of Old Lyme CT, Michael D. Taptick of Groton CT, and Sharon A. Cushman and her husband Gordon of Jewett City CT; her brother Louis J. Kish and his wife Patricia of Sandy Hook CT; six grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, her dear cousin Jean Drasky of Torrington CT, four nieces, and one nephew.
She was predeceased by her brother David Kish, and sisters-in-law Catherine “Jane” Thomas and Paula Taptick.
On July 9, Old Lyme resident Amy Gamerman will discuss her first book, “The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West” in a presentation at the Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library.
OLD LYME—On Wednesday, July 9, at 6:30 p.m. local writer and Old Lyme resident Amy Gamerman will discuss her newly-published and already highly-acclaimed book,The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West at Old Lyme’s Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase to benefit the Library.
Readers may know Gamerman better as Amy Conley, Old Lyme resident and mother of Max, Sarah, Jack and Gloria. Her husband is writer and editor Kevin Conley,
A true story of conflict over competing interests in the rangeland of Montana, The Crazies combines a remarkable cast, a compelling setting, and an engaging story line.
But the book is not fiction—it is based on hard, solid fact and is truly a tale for our times.
The book has been drawing critical praise.
Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction, described The Crazies as, “A fascinating story about the new energy economy. If you want to understand why change does—or doesn’t—happen in America, read The Crazies.”
Gamerman is a longtime contributor to the WallStreet Journal‘s Mansion section. Prior to that, she was the WSJ’’s drama critic and a staff writer on the Leisure & Arts page.
Her work has been recognized with multiple awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Her writing has also appeared in Vogue, Redbook and Departures. She attended Yale University and King’s College, Cambridge.
The Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library is located at 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme, CT 06371.
Editor’s Notes: i) On Sunday, July 6, we will publish an article by Elizabeth Regan about Gamerman and her book based on an interview Regan conducted with Gamerman earlier this week.
