Death Announced of John J. “Jay” Speirs III of Old Lyme; Husband of Anita, Brother of Peter, Both of Old Lyme

OLD LYME — John J. “Jay” Speirs III, 67, of Old Lyme, passed away unexpectedly at his home July 11, 2021. Jay Speirs was born May 30, 1954, in Middletown, to the late John J. Jr. and June (Briggs) Speirs. He was the beloved husband of Anita (Fatone) Speirs, who survives him …

Jay will be missed by many, but we know he is having a blast up there riding the waves and whistling along. Jay Speirs is also survived by his daughters, Samantha Speirs of Old Lyme and Tara Wyatt of Niantic; chosen niece Arla Muller of Maine; sister Pamela McDonald and husband Mac of Illinois; brother Peter Speirs and wife Michellee of Old Lyme; …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published July 25 in ‘The Day.’

Death Announced of Julie Anne Buchanan; Wife of Kevin, Mother of Tori, Liz, All Formerly of Old Lyme

Julie Anne (Johnson) Buchanan, of Deep River, CT and Stowe, VT, passed away Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Julie was married for 44 years to the love of her life, Kevin Buchanan, and was the Mom of the brightest stars in her sky, Victoria (Tori) Buchanan and Elizabeth (Liz) Buchanan, and Grandmother to her sunshine Macallan Silva, Easton Silva, and Ryland Silva …

… [Julie] is survived by her loving husband, Kevin, her daughters and their families, Victoria Buchanan, of East Lyme; Elizabeth Buchanan and Alex Silva, of Deep River; and her three grandchildren, Macallan Silva, Easton Silva, and Ryland Silva. Julie is predeceased by her daughter, Katelyn Buchanan …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published July 22 in The Record Journal.

Death Announced of Ernest P. Bauer, Grandfather of Tosh Urbowicz of Old Lyme

OLD SAYBROOK — Ernest Philip-Paul Bauer, of Old Saybrook, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2021. He is now reunited with his beloved wife, Ellen, and is at home with the lord …

… Family was everything to Ernie and he was very proud of his 57 year marriage to Ellen.

He is survived by his son Erich Adam Bauer and his wife Sacha of Salem, OR; daughter Karen Perkins-Pulaski of Boulder City, NV; grandchildren Tosh Urbowicz of Old Lyme and her husband Keith Urbowicz, Forrest, August and Ansel. His great-grandson Beckett loved his ‘Pop’ very much …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published on Dignity Memorial.

Death Announced of Long-time Lyme Land Trust Member Milt Walters, ‘Valued Colleague, Tireless Fundraiser’

Milt Walters. Photo courtesy of the Lyme Land Trust.

LYME — The death of Milt Walters has been announced in an email sent to all Lyme Land Trust members by its Board Chair John Pritchard and Executive Director Kristina White.

Describing Mr. Walters as, “our valued colleague,” the email states, “Milt had a long and extremely effective tenure on the Land Trust Board.  He was one of those rarest of all charitable board members — he loved fund raising.”

It continues, “Many of you have first hand knowledge that, unlike most of us, he enjoyed asking people to support the causes in which he believed so deeply. As the long-time Chair of our Philanthropy Committee, the funds Milt raised went toward the acquisition of properties (most recently our Thach and Brockway/Hawthorne Preserves), to the Land Trust’s general operating needs and to grow our endowment.”

Adding, “Milt was particularly focused on securing the long term financial health of the Land Trust, recognizing that our property stewardship obligations run in perpetuity.  He both created and championed our endowment fund,” the email notes, “And he was tireless in promoting participation in our Heritage Society, whose members have notified us of their planned giving intentions.”

Finally, Pritchard and White announce, “To honor Milt’s long, effective and consequential service, and particularly his very successful efforts to grow our endowment fund, the Land Trust Board recently voted to name it the “Milton J. Walters Endowment Fund.”  This recognition will be reflected in our upcoming Annual Report and in the Land Trust’s next Newsletter.”

The email concludes, “We will all miss Milt’s energy, devotion, wisdom and friendship.”

Details regarding services for Mr. Walters have not yet been announced.

Death Announced of Americo Richard (“Rick”) Lombardi, 92; Services in Old Lyme Thursday, Friday

Americo Richard (“Rick”) Lombardi. “Willow weep for me….” Rick Lombardi passed away on June 30, 2021, at the age of 92. He was born on September 2nd, 1928 in Beverly, Massachusetts, the child of immigrant parents from San Giovanni Incarico, Italy, and lived most of his life in Massachusetts and Connecticut …

He played ferocious golf, as the scoreboards at the Old Lyme Country Club and Isla del Sol in St. Petersburg Florida will attest – his name is listed over, and over, and over …

He loved the lush fecundity of the New England summer; and in his later years would go to his house in Old Lyme and sit in the shade, book in hand, and “supervise” the grandsons doing yard work …

There will be a wake at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home in Old Lyme CT on Thursday July 15 from 5-7pm followed by a Mass of Christian burial at Christ the King Catholic Church in Old Lyme on Friday July 16 at 11am. There will be a burial next to his beloved Alice in Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published July 11 in the Hartford Courant.