Arthur Dayton

CHESHIRE-Arthur Bliss Dayton, Jr., 87, of Cheshire beloved husband of Nancy L. Dayton for 59 years, died on Friday, January 8, 2010 at Waterbury Hospital. He was born December 22, 1922 in Changsha, China at the Yale-in-China Hospital, to Dr. Arthur Bliss Dayton and Elinor Bliss Dayton. He leaves three children and their spouses: Jonathan B. Dayton and his wife Wendy C. Dayton of Middlebury, Thomas B. Dayton and his wife Janice M. Dayton of West Hartford, Elizabeth Dayton Barber and her husband William C. Barber of Cheshire. He also has seven grandchildren and their spouses: Michael B. Dayton of Middlebury, Katherine E. Dayton of Hoboken, New Jersey, Matthew M. Dayton and his wife Dr. Margot H. Dayton of Glastonbury, James T. Dayton of West Hartford, Lt. jg Caroline Dayton Kearney, USCG, and her husband, Lt. jg Daniel J. Kearney, USCG, of Milton, Florida, Peter E. Barber of Arlington, Virginia and Charles W. Barber of Cheshire. He is survived by his twin brother, Charles Bliss Dayton and his wife, Constance O. Dayton of Falmouth, Maine. He also leaves several nieces, nephews and cousins whom he adored.

Arthur grew up in New Haven and attended The Foote School, Hopkins Grammar School and the Loomis School. In 1941, he entered Northwestern University and its NROTC program. He served in WWII in the South Pacific Theater as a Lt. jg in the Navy aboard the destroyer USS Welles. He was awarded the American Theatre WW II Victory medal, the Asiatic-Pacific medal with 5 Stars, the Philippine Liberation medal with 2 Stars, having been involved in the battles of Caroline Island, Luson, Iwo Jima and Okinawa He graduated from the Yale School of Engineering in 1948 with election to the honorary engineering society, Tau Beta Pi. He joined Risdon Manufacturing Co., where he worked for 39 years as Chief Engineer until his retirement. He was noted in the metal stamping industry for his extensive technical knowledge and held several patents. He lived in Middlebury for 49 years where he raised his family and was active in his church and the community before moving in 2005 to Elim Park Place in Cheshire. His lifelong passion was Dayton Island, Nicatous Lake, Maine where he vacationed with five generations from the 1920's to 2009. He also enjoyed furniture woodworking, pipe organ music, naval history, sailing and skiing which he did until age 80. His family was always the most important part of his life.

He was a member of the Middlebury Congregational Church and was involved in numerous renovation projects including the recent major building expansion and was instrumental with the installation of the pipe organ.

He served on many community committees notably the Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Shepardson Community Building renovation committee and the Library renovation committee

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A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 16th at 11:00 AM at the Middlebury Congregational Church on the Green, 1242 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, Connecticut 06762. A separate memorial service will be held at Elim Park at a time to be announced. The Alderson Funeral Home of Waterbury, 9 Holmes Ave. is in charge of arrangements

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to either, the Waterbury Hospital Development Fund, 64 Robbins Street, Waterbury, CT 06708 or the Middlebury Congregational Church Book of Remembrance Fund, 1242 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT 06762.