HENRY F MERRITT

WWII Veteran, FALN Bombing Survivor, Energy Consultant, and Conservationist

Henry "Buzz" Merritt of Redding, CT died May 12, 2020. Born July 21, 1927 to Henry C. Merritt and Catherine (Fuller) Merritt in New York City, he spent his early years in Bedford/Katonah, NY during the height of the Great Depression and the tail end of Prohibition. He fondly remembered how he and his younger sister Catherine (Merritt) Stokes would sneak out of bed to watch their parents and neighbors "roll up the rugs." They danced to Victrola music in the living room while enjoying cocktails made from booze dropped off by the local sheriff. It was here that Buzz was also first exposed to fishing by his father; what would become an enduring passion leading to some of his many global experiences.

The family, hit by the trials of the Depression, returned to NYC where Buzz attended St. Bernard's School. Often crediting this British style of academic training with his excellent memory, he became lifelong friends with classmates such as George Plimpton, James Symington, Charlie Kinsolving, Arthur "Punch" Sulzberger, and many other future greats.

Buzz remembered with great fondness watching parades from the family's apartment, walking the Miracle Mile during the Christmas season, roller skating along 5 ^th Ave, and attending baseball games at a time when the Giants still played at the Polo Grounds. He and George Plimpton were often found chasing down major league baseball players by subway, by mail, or in dugouts for autographs.

Buzz also spoke of family Sunday drives and roadside picnics on the Merritt Parkway, named after his Great Uncle Schuyler Merritt. As Congressman for Southwestern CT for most of 1917-1937, he championed the funding and the construction of the Parkway. The family remains proud of this unique public works project, naming their son, Schuyler, after Great Uncle Schuyler.

Buzz attended Philips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1944. On scholarship, he was a student waiter and delivered the morning Boston Herald. He played J.V. and Varsity baseball and All-club football and hockey. Buzz was a member of the cast of 1944's Spring Musical "Out of Bounds." He even played the cymbals in the Academy Band. Buzz became a member of the Glee Club and Phillips Church Choir after accidentally attending auditions while waiting for a friend to "try-out" so they could go play football. From this, singing would also become a persistent passion.

A week after Exeter Graduation, Buzz entered Princeton. With WWII still underway, he joined the Navy in his Sophomore year and went to "boot" camp at Sampson, NY. He then went to Quartermaster/ Signalman School at Gulfport, MS; thence to San Diego's West Coast Sound School. He served on two submarine chasers, PCS 1400 and PCS 1423. One of his proudest accomplishments, he had TDY (temporary duty) aboard the decorated submarine USS Redfish, running training missions in the Pacific.

Discharged in late 1946 as a Quartermaster 3/c, Buzz returned to Princeton. He played Varsity baseball as a catcher for five seasons – delaying his graduation to play for one more season. During these games, Buzz became competitive lifetime friends with a young Yale pitcher, George H. W. Bush. This included hands-on support years later at the local and national level for "Poppy" Bush's presidential campaigns.

Drawing on his Exeter musical and theatrical experience, Buzz appeared as a Cancan Chorus "Girl" in Princeton's 1949 Triangle Club Show "All in Favor." He joined Cottage Club and was a member of the 21 Club. Buzz graduated cum laude in Economics and Social Institutions in the Class of 1948 and attended almost every reunion for some 70 years.

After graduating, Buzz spent time on North Haven Island i n Maine, assisting the Parsons family and their young children with a variety of summer activities. He brought his baseball skills with him, joining the local team comprised of craftsmen, lobstermen, and beyond. He was also exposed to sailing, enjoying dinghy races and traveling up and down the Eggemoggin Reach. Yet again, sailing in many forms became another lifelong passion. This included crewing in several offshore yacht races in the 1950s and 1960s to include the Halifax, Annapolis to Newport, and Bermuda races.

Buzz joined the credit training program of the Central Hanover Bank and Trust Company in NYC in the early 1950s. He progressed though credit work at the bank's 34 ^th St and Madison Ave branch and for the bank's Southwestern Regional Division. He traveled extensively for the bank, calling on correspondent banks in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. This was during the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, leaving a lasting impression as much of the conflict was in his rural territory.

In the late 1950s, Buzz, as an avid skier, was one of the founders of Sugarbush ski resort in Warren, VT where he was an active member of the mountain's Ski Patrol. Around this same time, he also earned his private pilot license, eventually holding commercial pilot single-engine land and seaplane, glider, and instrument flight qualifications. Most of his flight time was in his Cessna 182-A "George" which he owned for over 40 years with various partners. In the mid-1970s, Buzz was appointed for several years to the Citizens' Advisory Committee of the Federal Aviation Administration.

At night, Buzz obtained his MBA at New York University. His thesis on financing small oil and gas exploration companies led in 1957 to an opportunity to join the Loomis family business, investing in private oil and gas exploration ventures. In 1968, he joined New York investment bank Laird Inc. for which he created and managed several oil and gas investment partnerships.

Buzz negotiated with the Thai Army for petroleum exploration concession in northern Thailand. He then was a consultant to a Norwegian ship owner, advising him and partners on the operation of, and contracting for, a semi-submersible offshore drilling rig they owned in the North Sea. He also brokered the sale of an Indonesian oil concession in the Java Sea. In 1980, financed by two Dutch families, he established five oil and gas exploration companies active in the US Gulf Coast. He semi-retired in 1995, continuing as a petroleum investment consultant until his death.

In 1970, in Bangkok, Thailand, Buzz married Jane Hamilton, PhD, Vietnam war correspondent, investigative journalist, university professor, author, human rights activist for the Hmong people, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and later llama farmer and advocate.

By 1971, Buzz and Jane decided to find a suburban area in which to live that was close enough for Buzz to commute to Wall Street. Always organized, he drew a circle around NYC to estimate the feasible commuting distance. Buzz then took to the skies in "George" to investigate New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to find attractive "green" areas from the air. Later following up with onsite visits. They left NYC for Redding, CT, where – with their son Schuyler, born 1986 – they have lived ever since.

Buzz frequented the Angler's Club of New York lunch table, having become a member in 1956. He served on various committees and often lauded the fact that members of all backgrounds were equal in their shared interest in fishing. On January 25, 1975, Buzz was there having lunch when FALN (Puerto Rican National Liberation) terrorists bombed Fraunces Tavern which housed the Angler's Club on the second floor. Four people died immediately, and more than 40 others were hospitalized with serious injuries. Buzz received limited injuries and made it home late that night; bandaged and in his tattered, dusty, and blood-stained suit.

His love of music ever strong, Buzz was an active member of the University Glee Club of New York, participating in several European concert tours, and his UGC barbershop quartet group, the "Manhatters," won a Manhattan City Championship. In the mid-1980s, Buzz became a dedicated volunteer and supporter for some 25 years of the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival. His son Schuyler also participated for some 15 years; becoming a Jazz Fest Board Member. Buzz continued singing through the 2010s as one of the few tenors with the Ridgefield Chorale.

Buzz was a past Chairman of the Redding Ethics Commission, an active member of the Westport, CT branch of the Submarine Veterans organization, and a Board member of the Friends and Neighbors of Putnam Memorial State Park, a local Revolutionary War site known as "Connecticut's Valley Forge."

Buzz was a longtime Trustee of the Redding Land Trust, routinely attending numerous town commission meetings to support the conservation of open spaces. He also endorsed considered defenses against overdevelopment of the town. He was often called on – and just as often volunteered – to take to the skies, with son Schuyler hanging out of his plane's window, photographing land conservation properties in support of the Redding Land Trust. He also flew aerial surveys at the request of Redding town officials.

Buzz delighted in mentoring young people, including students from Kenya and Botswana, with his principled and considered words. He hoped to instill in all a sense of history and a need to be an active community participant. To that end, he remained active with the Redding Land Trust up to the time of his death, helping provide the institutional memory of the mission and goals of the organization.

Buzz's lifetime collection of interests included fly fishing, upland and waterfowl bird hunting, skiing, offshore yacht racing, choral and barbershop quartet singing, flying, and land preservation. In addition to the various aforementioned groups he was also a member of the Amateur Ski Club of New York, the National Ski Patrol, and the New York Yacht Club. He was a longtime supporter of the Quebec Labrador Foundation, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Trout Unlimited, and Ducks Unlimited.

He traveled extensively, with Jane and Schuyler as well as professionally, to Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, East Africa, Egypt, Scandinavia, Western and Eastern Europe, and Canada.

Buzz authored many articles and two books: "Chronicles of the Old Fort River" which documented his involvement in discovering the feasibility of salmon fishing on a little know river in Quebec and "Deep Driller" a historical fiction novel about North Sea oil rig trials and tribulations during the late 1970s.

Buzz is survived by his wife, Jane Hamilton-Merritt, son, Schuyler (Elizabeth) Merritt, three nephews, Edward, Michael (Janet), and Peter (Patti) Stokes and their children, as well as sister-in-law Sandra LaRowe, nephews Curt (Tammy), Kimberly (Trent), and Dan (Annette) LaRowe and their children. He was predeceased by his sister Catherine Stokes in April 2016.

A limited service and family burial will take place in late May with a larger celebration of his life to be announced during the summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Henry F. Merritt's name to the Merritt Parkway Conservancy (www.merrittparkway.org/donate), the FANS of Putnam Park (putnampark.org/become-a-member-or-donate-to-fans), or the Redding Land Trust (reddingctlandtrust.org/giving).

HENRY F MERRITT

WWII Veteran, FALN Bombing Survivor, Energy Consultant, and Conservationist

Henry "Buzz" Merritt of Redding, CT died May 12, 2020. Born July 21, 1927 to Henry C. Merritt and Catherine (Fuller) Merritt in New York City, he spent his early years in Bedford/Katonah, NY during the height of the Great Depression and the tail end of Prohibition. He fondly remembered how he and his younger sister Catherine (Merritt) Stokes would sneak out of bed to watch their parents and neighbors "roll up the rugs." They danced to Victrola music in the living room while enjoying cocktails made from booze dropped off by the local sheriff. It was here that Buzz was also first exposed to fishing by his father; what would become an enduring passion leading to some of his many global experiences.

The family, hit by the trials of the Depression, returned to NYC where Buzz attended St. Bernard's School. Often crediting this British style of academic training with his excellent memory, he became lifelong friends with classmates such as George Plimpton, James Symington, Charlie Kinsolving, Arthur "Punch" Sulzberger, and many other future greats.

Buzz remembered with great fondness watching parades from the family's apartment, walking the Miracle Mile during the Christmas season, roller skating along 5 ^th Ave, and attending baseball games at a time when the Giants still played at the Polo Grounds. He and George Plimpton were often found chasing down major league baseball players by subway, by mail, or in dugouts for autographs.

Buzz also spoke of family Sunday drives and roadside picnics on the Merritt Parkway, named after his Great Uncle Schuyler Merritt. As Congressman for Southwestern CT for most of 1917-1937, he championed the funding and the construction of the Parkway. The family remains proud of this unique public works project, naming their son, Schuyler, after Great Uncle Schuyler.

Buzz attended Philips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1944. On scholarship, he was a student waiter and delivered the morning Boston Herald. He played J.V. and Varsity baseball and All-club football and hockey. Buzz was a member of the cast of 1944's Spring Musical "Out of Bounds." He even played the cymbals in the Academy Band. Buzz became a member of the Glee Club and Phillips Church Choir after accidentally attending auditions while waiting for a friend to "try-out" so they could go play football. From this, singing would also become a persistent passion.

A week after Exeter Graduation, Buzz entered Princeton. With WWII still underway, he joined the Navy in his Sophomore year and went to "boot" camp at Sampson, NY. He then went to Quartermaster/ Signalman School at Gulfport, MS; thence to San Diego's West Coast Sound School. He served on two submarine chasers, PCS 1400 and PCS 1423. One of his proudest accomplishments, he had TDY (temporary duty) aboard the decorated submarine USS Redfish, running training missions in the Pacific.

Discharged in late 1946 as a Quartermaster 3/c, Buzz returned to Princeton. He played Varsity baseball as a catcher for five seasons – delaying his graduation to play for one more season. During these games, Buzz became competitive lifetime friends with a young Yale pitcher, George H. W. Bush. This included hands-on support years later at the local and national level for "Poppy" Bush's presidential campaigns.

Drawing on his Exeter musical and theatrical experience, Buzz appeared as a Cancan Chorus "Girl" in Princeton's 1949 Triangle Club Show "All in Favor." He joined Cottage Club and was a member of the 21 Club. Buzz graduated cum laude in Economics and Social Institutions in the Class of 1948 and attended almost every reunion for some 70 years.

After graduating, Buzz spent time on North Haven Island i n Maine, assisting the Parsons family and their young children with a variety of summer activities. He brought his baseball skills with him, joining the local team comprised of craftsmen, lobstermen, and beyond. He was also exposed to sailing, enjoying dinghy races and traveling up and down the Eggemoggin Reach. Yet again, sailing in many forms became another lifelong passion. This included crewing in several offshore yacht races in the 1950s and 1960s to include the Halifax, Annapolis to Newport, and Bermuda races.

Buzz joined the credit training program of the Central Hanover Bank and Trust Company in NYC in the early 1950s. He progressed though credit work at the bank's 34 ^th St and Madison Ave branch and for the bank's Southwestern Regional Division. He traveled extensively for the bank, calling on correspondent banks in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. This was during the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, leaving a lasting impression as much of the conflict was in his rural territory.

In the late 1950s, Buzz, as an avid skier, was one of the founders of Sugarbush ski resort in Warren, VT where he was an active member of the mountain's Ski Patrol. Around this same time, he also earned his private pilot license, eventually holding commercial pilot single-engine land and seaplane, glider, and instrument flight qualifications. Most of his flight time was in his Cessna 182-A "George" which he owned for over 40 years with various partners. In the mid-1970s, Buzz was appointed for several years to the Citizens' Advisory Committee of the Federal Aviation Administration.

At night, Buzz obtained his MBA at New York University. His thesis on financing small oil and gas exploration companies led in 1957 to an opportunity to join the Loomis family business, investing in private oil and gas exploration ventures. In 1968, he joined New York investment bank Laird Inc. for which he created and managed several oil and gas investment partnerships.

Buzz negotiated with the Thai Army for petroleum exploration concession in northern Thailand. He then was a consultant to a Norwegian ship owner, advising him and partners on the operation of, and contracting for, a semi-submersible offshore drilling rig they owned in the North Sea. He also brokered the sale of an Indonesian oil concession in the Java Sea. In 1980, financed by two Dutch families, he established five oil and gas exploration companies active in the US Gulf Coast. He semi-retired in 1995, continuing as a petroleum investment consultant until his death.

In 1970, in Bangkok, Thailand, Buzz married Jane Hamilton, PhD, Vietnam war correspondent, investigative journalist, university professor, author, human rights activist for the Hmong people, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and later llama farmer and advocate.

By 1971, Buzz and Jane decided to find a suburban area in which to live that was close enough for Buzz to commute to Wall Street. Always organized, he drew a circle around NYC to estimate the feasible commuting distance. Buzz then took to the skies in "George" to investigate New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to find attractive "green" areas from the air. Later following up with onsite visits. They left NYC for Redding, CT, where – with their son Schuyler, born 1986 – they have lived ever since.

Buzz frequented the Angler's Club of New York lunch table, having become a member in 1956. He served on various committees and often lauded the fact that members of all backgrounds were equal in their shared interest in fishing. On January 25, 1975, Buzz was there having lunch when FALN (Puerto Rican National Liberation) terrorists bombed Fraunces Tavern which housed the Angler's Club on the second floor. Four people died immediately, and more than 40 others were hospitalized with serious injuries. Buzz received limited injuries and made it home late that night; bandaged and in his tattered, dusty, and blood-stained suit.

His love of music ever strong, Buzz was an active member of the University Glee Club of New York, participating in several European concert tours, and his UGC barbershop quartet group, the "Manhatters," won a Manhattan City Championship. In the mid-1980s, Buzz became a dedicated volunteer and supporter for some 25 years of the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival. His son Schuyler also participated for some 15 years; becoming a Jazz Fest Board Member. Buzz continued singing through the 2010s as one of the few tenors with the Ridgefield Chorale.

Buzz was a past Chairman of the Redding Ethics Commission, an active member of the Westport, CT branch of the Submarine Veterans organization, and a Board member of the Friends and Neighbors of Putnam Memorial State Park, a local Revolutionary War site known as "Connecticut's Valley Forge."

Buzz was a longtime Trustee of the Redding Land Trust, routinely attending numerous town commission meetings to support the conservation of open spaces. He also endorsed considered defenses against overdevelopment of the town. He was often called on – and just as often volunteered – to take to the skies, with son Schuyler hanging out of his plane's window, photographing land conservation properties in support of the Redding Land Trust. He also flew aerial surveys at the request of Redding town officials.

Buzz delighted in mentoring young people, including students from Kenya and Botswana, with his principled and considered words. He hoped to instill in all a sense of history and a need to be an active community participant. To that end, he remained active with the Redding Land Trust up to the time of his death, helping provide the institutional memory of the mission and goals of the organization.

Buzz's lifetime collection of interests included fly fishing, upland and waterfowl bird hunting, skiing, offshore yacht racing, choral and barbershop quartet singing, flying, and land preservation. In addition to the various aforementioned groups he was also a member of the Amateur Ski Club of New York, the National Ski Patrol, and the New York Yacht Club. He was a longtime supporter of the Quebec Labrador Foundation, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Trout Unlimited, and Ducks Unlimited.

He traveled extensively, with Jane and Schuyler as well as professionally, to Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, East Africa, Egypt, Scandinavia, Western and Eastern Europe, and Canada.

Buzz authored many articles and two books: "Chronicles of the Old Fort River" which documented his involvement in discovering the feasibility of salmon fishing on a little know river in Quebec and "Deep Driller" a historical fiction novel about North Sea oil rig trials and tribulations during the late 1970s.

Buzz is survived by his wife, Jane Hamilton-Merritt, son, Schuyler (Elizabeth) Merritt, three nephews, Edward, Michael (Janet), and Peter (Patti) Stokes and their children, as well as sister-in-law Sandra LaRowe, nephews Curt (Tammy), Kimberly (Trent), and Dan (Annette) LaRowe and their children. He was predeceased by his sister Catherine Stokes in April 2016.

A limited service and family burial will take place in late May with a larger celebration of his life to be announced during the summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Henry F. Merritt's name to the Merritt Parkway Conservancy (www.merrittparkway.org/donate), the FANS of Putnam Park (putnampark.org/become-a-member-or-donate-to-fans), or the Redding Land Trust (reddingctlandtrust.org/giving).

HENRY F MERRITT

WWII Veteran, FALN Bombing Survivor, Energy Consultant, and Conservationist

Henry "Buzz" Merritt of Redding, CT died May 12, 2020. Born July 21, 1927 to Henry C. Merritt and Catherine (Fuller) Merritt in New York City, he spent his early years in Bedford/Katonah, NY during the height of the Great Depression and the tail end of Prohibition. He fondly remembered how he and his younger sister Catherine (Merritt) Stokes would sneak out of bed to watch their parents and neighbors "roll up the rugs." They danced to Victrola music in the living room while enjoying cocktails made from booze dropped off by the local sheriff. It was here that Buzz was also first exposed to fishing by his father; what would become an enduring passion leading to some of his many global experiences.

The family, hit by the trials of the Depression, returned to NYC where Buzz attended St. Bernard's School. Often crediting this British style of academic training with his excellent memory, he became lifelong friends with classmates such as George Plimpton, James Symington, Charlie Kinsolving, Arthur "Punch" Sulzberger, and many other future greats.

Buzz remembered with great fondness watching parades from the family's apartment, walking the Miracle Mile during the Christmas season, roller skating along 5 ^th Ave, and attending baseball games at a time when the Giants still played at the Polo Grounds. He and George Plimpton were often found chasing down major league baseball players by subway, by mail, or in dugouts for autographs.

Buzz also spoke of family Sunday drives and roadside picnics on the Merritt Parkway, named after his Great Uncle Schuyler Merritt. As Congressman for Southwestern CT for most of 1917-1937, he championed the funding and the construction of the Parkway. The family remains proud of this unique public works project, naming their son, Schuyler, after Great Uncle Schuyler.

Buzz attended Philips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1944. On scholarship, he was a student waiter and delivered the morning Boston Herald. He played J.V. and Varsity baseball and All-club football and hockey. Buzz was a member of the cast of 1944's Spring Musical "Out of Bounds." He even played the cymbals in the Academy Band. Buzz became a member of the Glee Club and Phillips Church Choir after accidentally attending auditions while waiting for a friend to "try-out" so they could go play football. From this, singing would also become a persistent passion.

A week after Exeter Graduation, Buzz entered Princeton. With WWII still underway, he joined the Navy in his Sophomore year and went to "boot" camp at Sampson, NY. He then went to Quartermaster/ Signalman School at Gulfport, MS; thence to San Diego's West Coast Sound School. He served on two submarine chasers, PCS 1400 and PCS 1423. One of his proudest accomplishments, he had TDY (temporary duty) aboard the decorated submarine USS Redfish, running training missions in the Pacific.

Discharged in late 1946 as a Quartermaster 3/c, Buzz returned to Princeton. He played Varsity baseball as a catcher for five seasons – delaying his graduation to play for one more season. During these games, Buzz became competitive lifetime friends with a young Yale pitcher, George H. W. Bush. This included hands-on support years later at the local and national level for "Poppy" Bush's presidential campaigns.

Drawing on his Exeter musical and theatrical experience, Buzz appeared as a Cancan Chorus "Girl" in Princeton's 1949 Triangle Club Show "All in Favor." He joined Cottage Club and was a member of the 21 Club. Buzz graduated cum laude in Economics and Social Institutions in the Class of 1948 and attended almost every reunion for some 70 years.

After graduating, Buzz spent time on North Haven Island i n Maine, assisting the Parsons family and their young children with a variety of summer activities. He brought his baseball skills with him, joining the local team comprised of craftsmen, lobstermen, and beyond. He was also exposed to sailing, enjoying dinghy races and traveling up and down the Eggemoggin Reach. Yet again, sailing in many forms became another lifelong passion. This included crewing in several offshore yacht races in the 1950s and 1960s to include the Halifax, Annapolis to Newport, and Bermuda races.

Buzz joined the credit training program of the Central Hanover Bank and Trust Company in NYC in the early 1950s. He progressed though credit work at the bank's 34 ^th St and Madison Ave branch and for the bank's Southwestern Regional Division. He traveled extensively for the bank, calling on correspondent banks in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. This was during the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, leaving a lasting impression as much of the conflict was in his rural territory.

In the late 1950s, Buzz, as an avid skier, was one of the founders of Sugarbush ski resort in Warren, VT where he was an active member of the mountain's Ski Patrol. Around this same time, he also earned his private pilot license, eventually holding commercial pilot single-engine land and seaplane, glider, and instrument flight qualifications. Most of his flight time was in his Cessna 182-A "George" which he owned for over 40 years with various partners. In the mid-1970s, Buzz was appointed for several years to the Citizens' Advisory Committee of the Federal Aviation Administration.

At night, Buzz obtained his MBA at New York University. His thesis on financing small oil and gas exploration companies led in 1957 to an opportunity to join the Loomis family business, investing in private oil and gas exploration ventures. In 1968, he joined New York investment bank Laird Inc. for which he created and managed several oil and gas investment partnerships.

Buzz negotiated with the Thai Army for petroleum exploration concession in northern Thailand. He then was a consultant to a Norwegian ship owner, advising him and partners on the operation of, and contracting for, a semi-submersible offshore drilling rig they owned in the North Sea. He also brokered the sale of an Indonesian oil concession in the Java Sea. In 1980, financed by two Dutch families, he established five oil and gas exploration companies active in the US Gulf Coast. He semi-retired in 1995, continuing as a petroleum investment consultant until his death.

In 1970, in Bangkok, Thailand, Buzz married Jane Hamilton, PhD, Vietnam war correspondent, investigative journalist, university professor, author, human rights activist for the Hmong people, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and later llama farmer and advocate.

By 1971, Buzz and Jane decided to find a suburban area in which to live that was close enough for Buzz to commute to Wall Street. Always organized, he drew a circle around NYC to estimate the feasible commuting distance. Buzz then took to the skies in "George" to investigate New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to find attractive "green" areas from the air. Later following up with onsite visits. They left NYC for Redding, CT, where – with their son Schuyler, born 1986 – they have lived ever since.

Buzz frequented the Angler's Club of New York lunch table, having become a member in 1956. He served on various committees and often lauded the fact that members of all backgrounds were equal in their shared interest in fishing. On January 25, 1975, Buzz was there having lunch when FALN (Puerto Rican National Liberation) terrorists bombed Fraunces Tavern which housed the Angler's Club on the second floor. Four people died immediately, and more than 40 others were hospitalized with serious injuries. Buzz received limited injuries and made it home late that night; bandaged and in his tattered, dusty, and blood-stained suit.

His love of music ever strong, Buzz was an active member of the University Glee Club of New York, participating in several European concert tours, and his UGC barbershop quartet group, the "Manhatters," won a Manhattan City Championship. In the mid-1980s, Buzz became a dedicated volunteer and supporter for some 25 years of the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival. His son Schuyler also participated for some 15 years; becoming a Jazz Fest Board Member. Buzz continued singing through the 2010s as one of the few tenors with the Ridgefield Chorale.

Buzz was a past Chairman of the Redding Ethics Commission, an active member of the Westport, CT branch of the Submarine Veterans organization, and a Board member of the Friends and Neighbors of Putnam Memorial State Park, a local Revolutionary War site known as "Connecticut's Valley Forge."

Buzz was a longtime Trustee of the Redding Land Trust, routinely attending numerous town commission meetings to support the conservation of open spaces. He also endorsed considered defenses against overdevelopment of the town. He was often called on – and just as often volunteered – to take to the skies, with son Schuyler hanging out of his plane's window, photographing land conservation properties in support of the Redding Land Trust. He also flew aerial surveys at the request of Redding town officials.

Buzz delighted in mentoring young people, including students from Kenya and Botswana, with his principled and considered words. He hoped to instill in all a sense of history and a need to be an active community participant. To that end, he remained active with the Redding Land Trust up to the time of his death, helping provide the institutional memory of the mission and goals of the organization.

Buzz's lifetime collection of interests included fly fishing, upland and waterfowl bird hunting, skiing, offshore yacht racing, choral and barbershop quartet singing, flying, and land preservation. In addition to the various aforementioned groups he was also a member of the Amateur Ski Club of New York, the National Ski Patrol, and the New York Yacht Club. He was a longtime supporter of the Quebec Labrador Foundation, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Trout Unlimited, and Ducks Unlimited.

He traveled extensively, with Jane and Schuyler as well as professionally, to Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, East Africa, Egypt, Scandinavia, Western and Eastern Europe, and Canada.

Buzz authored many articles and two books: "Chronicles of the Old Fort River" which documented his involvement in discovering the feasibility of salmon fishing on a little know river in Quebec and "Deep Driller" a historical fiction novel about North Sea oil rig trials and tribulations during the late 1970s.

Buzz is survived by his wife, Jane Hamilton-Merritt, son, Schuyler (Elizabeth) Merritt, three nephews, Edward, Michael (Janet), and Peter (Patti) Stokes and their children, as well as sister-in-law Sandra LaRowe, nephews Curt (Tammy), Kimberly (Trent), and Dan (Annette) LaRowe and their children. He was predeceased by his sister Catherine Stokes in April 2016.

A limited service and family burial will take place in late May with a larger celebration of his life to be announced during the summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Henry F. Merritt's name to the Merritt Parkway Conservancy (www.merrittparkway.org/donate), the FANS of Putnam Park (putnampark.org/become-a-member-or-donate-to-fans), or the Redding Land Trust (reddingctlandtrust.org/giving).

HENRY F MERRITT

WWII Veteran, FALN Bombing Survivor, Energy Consultant, and Conservationist

Henry "Buzz" Merritt of Redding, CT died May 12, 2020. Born July 21, 1927 to Henry C. Merritt and Catherine (Fuller) Merritt in New York City, he spent his early years in Bedford/Katonah, NY during the height of the Great Depression and the tail end of Prohibition. He fondly remembered how he and his younger sister Catherine (Merritt) Stokes would sneak out of bed to watch their parents and neighbors "roll up the rugs." They danced to Victrola music in the living room while enjoying cocktails made from booze dropped off by the local sheriff. It was here that Buzz was also first exposed to fishing by his father; what would become an enduring passion leading to some of his many global experiences.

The family, hit by the trials of the Depression, returned to NYC where Buzz attended St. Bernard's School. Often crediting this British style of academic training with his excellent memory, he became lifelong friends with classmates such as George Plimpton, James Symington, Charlie Kinsolving, Arthur "Punch" Sulzberger, and many other future greats.

Buzz remembered with great fondness watching parades from the family's apartment, walking the Miracle Mile during the Christmas season, roller skating along 5 ^th Ave, and attending baseball games at a time when the Giants still played at the Polo Grounds. He and George Plimpton were often found chasing down major league baseball players by subway, by mail, or in dugouts for autographs.

Buzz also spoke of family Sunday drives and roadside picnics on the Merritt Parkway, named after his Great Uncle Schuyler Merritt. As Congressman for Southwestern CT for most of 1917-1937, he championed the funding and the construction of the Parkway. The family remains proud of this unique public works project, naming their son, Schuyler, after Great Uncle Schuyler.

Buzz attended Philips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1944. On scholarship, he was a student waiter and delivered the morning Boston Herald. He played J.V. and Varsity baseball and All-club football and hockey. Buzz was a member of the cast of 1944's Spring Musical "Out of Bounds." He even played the cymbals in the Academy Band. Buzz became a member of the Glee Club and Phillips Church Choir after accidentally attending auditions while waiting for a friend to "try-out" so they could go play football. From this, singing would also become a persistent passion.

A week after Exeter Graduation, Buzz entered Princeton. With WWII still underway, he joined the Navy in his Sophomore year and went to "boot" camp at Sampson, NY. He then went to Quartermaster/ Signalman School at Gulfport, MS; thence to San Diego's West Coast Sound School. He served on two submarine chasers, PCS 1400 and PCS 1423. One of his proudest accomplishments, he had TDY (temporary duty) aboard the decorated submarine USS Redfish, running training missions in the Pacific.

Discharged in late 1946 as a Quartermaster 3/c, Buzz returned to Princeton. He played Varsity baseball as a catcher for five seasons – delaying his graduation to play for one more season. During these games, Buzz became competitive lifetime friends with a young Yale pitcher, George H. W. Bush. This included hands-on support years later at the local and national level for "Poppy" Bush's presidential campaigns.

Drawing on his Exeter musical and theatrical experience, Buzz appeared as a Cancan Chorus "Girl" in Princeton's 1949 Triangle Club Show "All in Favor." He joined Cottage Club and was a member of the 21 Club. Buzz graduated cum laude in Economics and Social Institutions in the Class of 1948 and attended almost every reunion for some 70 years.

After graduating, Buzz spent time on North Haven Island i n Maine, assisting the Parsons family and their young children with a variety of summer activities. He brought his baseball skills with him, joining the local team comprised of craftsmen, lobstermen, and beyond. He was also exposed to sailing, enjoying dinghy races and traveling up and down the Eggemoggin Reach. Yet again, sailing in many forms became another lifelong passion. This included crewing in several offshore yacht races in the 1950s and 1960s to include the Halifax, Annapolis to Newport, and Bermuda races.

Buzz joined the credit training program of the Central Hanover Bank and Trust Company in NYC in the early 1950s. He progressed though credit work at the bank's 34 ^th St and Madison Ave branch and for the bank's Southwestern Regional Division. He traveled extensively for the bank, calling on correspondent banks in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. This was during the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, leaving a lasting impression as much of the conflict was in his rural territory.

In the late 1950s, Buzz, as an avid skier, was one of the founders of Sugarbush ski resort in Warren, VT where he was an active member of the mountain's Ski Patrol. Around this same time, he also earned his private pilot license, eventually holding commercial pilot single-engine land and seaplane, glider, and instrument flight qualifications. Most of his flight time was in his Cessna 182-A "George" which he owned for over 40 years with various partners. In the mid-1970s, Buzz was appointed for several years to the Citizens' Advisory Committee of the Federal Aviation Administration.

At night, Buzz obtained his MBA at New York University. His thesis on financing small oil and gas exploration companies led in 1957 to an opportunity to join the Loomis family business, investing in private oil and gas exploration ventures. In 1968, he joined New York investment bank Laird Inc. for which he created and managed several oil and gas investment partnerships.

Buzz negotiated with the Thai Army for petroleum exploration concession in northern Thailand. He then was a consultant to a Norwegian ship owner, advising him and partners on the operation of, and contracting for, a semi-submersible offshore drilling rig they owned in the North Sea. He also brokered the sale of an Indonesian oil concession in the Java Sea. In 1980, financed by two Dutch families, he established five oil and gas exploration companies active in the US Gulf Coast. He semi-retired in 1995, continuing as a petroleum investment consultant until his death.

In 1970, in Bangkok, Thailand, Buzz married Jane Hamilton, PhD, Vietnam war correspondent, investigative journalist, university professor, author, human rights activist for the Hmong people, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and later llama farmer and advocate.

By 1971, Buzz and Jane decided to find a suburban area in which to live that was close enough for Buzz to commute to Wall Street. Always organized, he drew a circle around NYC to estimate the feasible commuting distance. Buzz then took to the skies in "George" to investigate New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to find attractive "green" areas from the air. Later following up with onsite visits. They left NYC for Redding, CT, where – with their son Schuyler, born 1986 – they have lived ever since.

Buzz frequented the Angler's Club of New York lunch table, having become a member in 1956. He served on various committees and often lauded the fact that members of all backgrounds were equal in their shared interest in fishing. On January 25, 1975, Buzz was there having lunch when FALN (Puerto Rican National Liberation) terrorists bombed Fraunces Tavern which housed the Angler's Club on the second floor. Four people died immediately, and more than 40 others were hospitalized with serious injuries. Buzz received limited injuries and made it home late that night; bandaged and in his tattered, dusty, and blood-stained suit.

His love of music ever strong, Buzz was an active member of the University Glee Club of New York, participating in several European concert tours, and his UGC barbershop quartet group, the "Manhatters," won a Manhattan City Championship. In the mid-1980s, Buzz became a dedicated volunteer and supporter for some 25 years of the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival. His son Schuyler also participated for some 15 years; becoming a Jazz Fest Board Member. Buzz continued singing through the 2010s as one of the few tenors with the Ridgefield Chorale.

Buzz was a past Chairman of the Redding Ethics Commission, an active member of the Westport, CT branch of the Submarine Veterans organization, and a Board member of the Friends and Neighbors of Putnam Memorial State Park, a local Revolutionary War site known as "Connecticut's Valley Forge."

Buzz was a longtime Trustee of the Redding Land Trust, routinely attending numerous town commission meetings to support the conservation of open spaces. He also endorsed considered defenses against overdevelopment of the town. He was often called on – and just as often volunteered – to take to the skies, with son Schuyler hanging out of his plane's window, photographing land conservation properties in support of the Redding Land Trust. He also flew aerial surveys at the request of Redding town officials.

Buzz delighted in mentoring young people, including students from Kenya and Botswana, with his principled and considered words. He hoped to instill in all a sense of history and a need to be an active community participant. To that end, he remained active with the Redding Land Trust up to the time of his death, helping provide the institutional memory of the mission and goals of the organization.

Buzz's lifetime collection of interests included fly fishing, upland and waterfowl bird hunting, skiing, offshore yacht racing, choral and barbershop quartet singing, flying, and land preservation. In addition to the various aforementioned groups he was also a member of the Amateur Ski Club of New York, the National Ski Patrol, and the New York Yacht Club. He was a longtime supporter of the Quebec Labrador Foundation, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Trout Unlimited, and Ducks Unlimited.

He traveled extensively, with Jane and Schuyler as well as professionally, to Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, East Africa, Egypt, Scandinavia, Western and Eastern Europe, and Canada.

Buzz authored many articles and two books: "Chronicles of the Old Fort River" which documented his involvement in discovering the feasibility of salmon fishing on a little know river in Quebec and "Deep Driller" a historical fiction novel about North Sea oil rig trials and tribulations during the late 1970s.

Buzz is survived by his wife, Jane Hamilton-Merritt, son, Schuyler (Elizabeth) Merritt, three nephews, Edward, Michael (Janet), and Peter (Patti) Stokes and their children, as well as sister-in-law Sandra LaRowe, nephews Curt (Tammy), Kimberly (Trent), and Dan (Annette) LaRowe and their children. He was predeceased by his sister Catherine Stokes in April 2016.

A limited service and family burial will take place in late May with a larger celebration of his life to be announced during the summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Henry F. Merritt's name to the Merritt Parkway Conservancy (www.merrittparkway.org/donate), the FANS of Putnam Park (putnampark.org/become-a-member-or-donate-to-fans), or the Redding Land Trust (reddingctlandtrust.org/giving).