William B. Stanley, local historian & journalist, died Sunday, April 18th at the age of 80.
by Tyler Williams
William B. Stanley, 80, died Sunday, April 18th at Hartford Hospital. His illustrious life will be remembered and honored by his involvement as an author and Norwich’s own historian
Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret Stanley, his son William A. Stanley and his daughters Carol Little and Mary Stanley.
Bill’s ability to bring Norwich’s past to the community brought people together and grew an unwavering strength in the community. Bill always had a knack for making local history come alive; he was the spirit of Norwich and he will be greatly missed.
In a statement released to the Resident, Senator Chris Dodd said, “Bill Stanley was a great friend to my family, and to generations of residents in Norwich who were touched by his generosity, his humor, and his kindness. No one was a bigger cheerleader for the city of Norwich than Bill, and his contributions to our state will continue be felt for years to come. I join all those in Norwich and across Connecticut in mourning Bill’s passing, and I will miss him dearly.”
Bill’s legacy will be remembered by the combination of his outspokenness and his ability to put it into writing. His weekly newspaper columns will be remembered not only for his signature “Once Upon a Time” but for his capacity to grab the reader. He also published many books, some of them being a collection of his columns. His largest book chronicled the area’s history and his final book was a gift to Norwich schoolchildren, in which he donated 5,000 books to the school system.
In a statement released to the Resident, Senator Joe Lieberman said, “I was deeply saddened by the passing of Bill Stanley, a statesman, a principled patriot, and a scholar. Bill Stanley loved history, taught history, and made history. I knew Bill for many years, and I am grateful for all of the wisdom he offered me personally. Mostly though, I treasure the example he set in his career of devoted service to this country in the United States Marine Corps, Connecticut’s State Senate, and through the many important causes that he championed in the city of Norwich and throughout our state. Our state and this nation are blessed to have people like Bill Stanley who truly enrich our communities. We, his readers and his students, were particularly blessed with the opportunity to have learned from Bill Stanley, who illuminated our hearts and minds with his weekly columns for the Norwich Bulletin. Bill’s brilliant mind, generous spirit, and unforgettable stories will never fade from our memory.”
Governor M. Jodi Rell ordered U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of Marine Lance Corporal Tyler Owen Griffin of Voluntown. Tyler, 19, a 2008 graduate of Griswold High School, had served for 30 days in Afghanistan when he was killed by improvised explosive device.
“All of Connecticut mourns a brave and patriotic young man who has given his life for his country and our freedom,” Governor Rell said. “We cannot help but be inspired by the example Lance Corporal Griffin set, even as we join his family and friends in grieving for him. His service will never be forgotten.”
Flags will remain at half-staff until sundown on the day of Lance Corporal Griffin’s burial, which has not been set yet. There are three days of services scheduled. On Monday, April 12, there will be a procession, accompanied by a state police and Patriot Guard escort, along Rt. 165 in Voluntown as Lance Corporal Griffin’s remains are brought to the Gagne-Piechowski Funeral Home, Jewett City, where private services will be held. The public is invited to stand along Rt. 165 as the motorcade passes between 6:00 and 6:30pm on Monday evening. There will be a public wake at the funeral home on Tuesday night, and a public reception at Constitution Field, Voluntown, on Wednesday.
Alexis Ann, editor & publisher, the Resident, interview, Wilma P. Mankiller, first female Chief of the Cherokee Tribal Nation, when she presented her book, Every Day is a Good Day, at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum Research Library on October 23, 2004.
by Alexis Ann
With a sad heart, I learned of Wilma P. Mankiller, 64, passing on Tuesday, April 6th after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Ms. Wilma is survived by her husband, Charlie Soap, and her two daughters, Felicia and Gina Olaya.
I had the honor to meet and interview Ms. Wilma, former Chief of the Cherokee Tribal Nation (1985-1995), and 1998 Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, when she presented her new book, Every Day is a Good Day, at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center on October 23, 2004.
The first woman in modern times to serve as a Native American Tribal chief, her programs based on activism, advocacy, and practical-solution methodology of local empowerment advanced many community projects such as the Cherokee Community Development Department, the Bell Community Project, and Cherokee Gardens horticultural venture. In our interview, Ms. Mankiller said that she believes in a positive future for Native American women, and for all humanity.
Ms. Mankiller held several honorary doctoral degrees: from Yale University, Smith College, and Dartmouth College. Ms. Magazine honored her as Woman of the Year in 1987, and she received other similar awards including induction into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 1986 and National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
At the opening of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, in 1993, Ms. Wilma said, “Our ancestors can no longer speak for themselves. It is up to us to speak for them… If they could speak today, they would say, ‘Look at this museum. They have not forgotten us. We have survived.’”
To that I say, Ms. Wilma, you will not be forgotten. Your books tell your story and through them, you will survive. Thank you!
(l-r) State Representative Christopher Coutu with his uncle Edward J. Coutu. Edward passed away on March 20.
April 24, 1918 – March 20, 2010
Edward J. Coutu, 91, formerly of Taftville died Saturday, March 20 at the Norwichtown Rehab & Care Center. Edward was employed for 28 years as an Electrician for the State of CT DOT retiring many years ago. He was a WWII Army veteran having enlisted in the Army in 1941 and was honorably discharged in1945 with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was a communicant of Sacred Heart Church, Taftville. He was a Past Commander of the V.F.W. Post 2212, Taftville, was a life member of the Sprague Rod & Gun Club and a life member of the Taftville Fire Dept. Edward was married to Marguerite (Maynard) Coutu, who died in 2004. Survivors include sister Juliette Dupuis and her husband Arthur, Taftville, his sister-in-law Dorothy (Maynard) Osga, Jewett City, and numerous nieces and nephews.
(l-r) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and James M. Landis,Wartime Chief of the Office of Civilian Defense, present the first two Air Medals ever awarded by the U.S. to CAP subchasers Maj. Hugh R. Sharp Jr. and 1st Lt. Edmond I. ‘Eddie’ Edwards for the heroic rescue of 1st Lt. Henry Cross.
photo by CAP Historical Foundation
One of Civil Air Patrol’s most famous World War II “subchasers,” honored for heroism by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, died on Saturday, Dec. 5, after a long illness. He was 96 years old.
Col. Edmond I. “Eddie” Edwards was widely known as the first Coastal Patrol (later Civil Air Patrol) pilot to spot a Nazi U-boat and radio its position to U.S. naval forces. The vessel crash-dived and headed farther out to sea, where it was less of a menace to U.S. shipping. This occurred on March 10, 1942, near the start of the war.
“He was probably one of the first subchasers to see the enemy,” said Roger Thiel, a senior member and independent historian with CAP.
Based at Coastal Patrol Base 2 in Rehoboth Beach, DE, Edwards flew sub-hunting patrols offshore Delaware and Maryland, safeguarding oil tankers headed for Delaware Bay. The Coastal Patrol flights, made from 21 bases along the East and Gulf shorelines of America, were instrumental in making CAP an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, which it is today.
Despite his notoriety as one of the very first subchasers, Thiel said Edwards held “celebrity status” within CAP as one of the first Coastal Patrol pilots awarded the Air Medal for heroism during World War II. He and his commanding officer, the late Maj. Hugh R. Sharp Jr., received the medal after Roosevelt heard of their daring rescue of a fellow airman downed in bitterly cold high seas off Maryland.
Edwards, in an interview for the Civil Air Patrol Volunteer in 2006, clearly remembered the rescue of 1st Lt. Henry Cross that earned him the medal and subchaser fame. “I got the call that one of our planes was down, and Maj. Sharp asked me to go with him,” said Edwards. “We had no trouble finding the crash site. We spotted a body, so we made an emergency landing and fished him out. He was alive, but we never found the other guy.”
The rescue on July 21, 1942, required that Edwards and Sharp land their aircraft, a Sikorsky S-63 single-engine amphibian piloted by Sharp, in swells reaching 8- to 10-feet high and, in the process, they crushed the left pontoon. So, to get back to Base 2, Edwards accomplished a daring feat by climbing out onto the right wing and using his weight to level the plane. A half-frozen Edwards clung there through the night until the early morning hours of the next day before a Coast Guard boat water taxied the unflyable aircraft to shore.
Roosevelt conferred the Air Medal to Edwards and Sharp in a White House ceremony in February of 1943. By that time, Edwards had joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as a flight instructor and later piloted Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers on patrols out of Hawaii.
“I was ushered into the Oval Office and decorated by FDR,” said Edwards, in the 2006 interview, which commemorated CAP’s 65th anniversary. “Of course, I was honored to receive the medal, but I was also so impressed with FDR.”
Though Edwards and Sharp were the first civilians to receive the Air Medal, they were soon joined by others from their own ranks. By the end of World War II, 800 Air Medals had been presented to CAP members.
Edwards served in the Navy for three years, attaining the rank of senior-grade lieutenant. He served 27 years in the Reserve, during which he pursued an active role in Delaware civil aviation. For a number of years, he ran the FBO and instructed at Weimer Airport at Newark, DE, now site of a DuPont facility.
Thiel, a longtime acquaintance of Edwards who frequently visited with him during annual Coastal Patrol Base 2 reunions in Rehoboth Beach, said he often downplayed his notoriety. “Eddie never considered himself special for the high profile personal recognition by President Roosevelt, often saying of the rescue for which his Air Medal was awarded, ‘Anyone could have done it,’ “ said Thiel. “His accomplishments and humility indicate the heroic capabilities of regular U.S. citizens, especially in Civil Air Patrol.”
Edwards is survived by his wife, Blanche, and a son and two daughters: Edmond Jr., who lives in Missouri; Linda Jones of Shillington, PA; and Patricia Dawson of Bear, DE. His funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at R.T. Foard & Jones Funeral Home, located at 122 W. Main St. in Newark. Friends and family may visit one hour prior to the service. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heartland Hospice, 256 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19711, or the Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village, 866 North DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
