George           Powell, Jr

George A. Powell, Jr, age 65, a lifelong resident of Newtown, died peacefully at his home in Sandy Hook on March 1.

Mr Powell was born in Norwalk on January 26, 1940, a son of the late Ethel (Lucas) and George Powell, Sr.

Mr Powell attended Newtown schools, and then enlisted in the Navy when he was 18. He served as an air traffic controller in the Philippines.

He was very active in the Newtown-Sandy Hook community. Mr Powell had served as a firefighter and an officer of Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company for 49 years, and was recently made a lifetime member.

Mr Powell was also a lifetime member and chaplain of Newtown VFW Post 308, and was a past senior and junior vice commander of Newtown American Legion Post, which was named in honor of his father.

George was an avid golfer. He had been a 20-year member of Bud’s Golf League, which met weekly in Prospect.

He had worked for Rand Whitney (formerly Union Camp and Allied Container) in Newtown for over 30 years. He was most recently a plant superintendent.

Mr Powell is survived by his wife of 41 years, Sherry Lynn (Burdick) of Sandy Hook; two daughters and sons-in-law, Christine (Powell) and David Dotson of Northglenn, Colo., and April and Mike Carchietta of Torrington; four sisters, Joy Loveland of Chester, Vt., Cecelia Zyla of West Palm Beach, Fla., Donna Humphreys of Coleman, Fla., and Kim Powell of New Milford; one brother, Peter Powell of West Palm Beach, Fla.; an uncle and aunt, Michael and Josephine Lucas of Sandy Hook; as well as six grandchildren and 31 nieces and nephews. Numerous friends, additional family members, co-workers, and golfing buddies will miss George’s teasing sense of humor and unwavering honesty and loyalty.

Calling hours will be Sunday, March 6, from 3 to 7 pm, at Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street in Newtown. A Mass of Christian burial will be on Monday, March 7, at 10 am, at St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road in Newtown.

Memorial contributions can be made to The Leukemia/Lymphoma Society; Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, PO Box 783, Sandy Hook CT 06482; or Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, 405 Main Street, Danbury CT 06810.

The Newtown Bee        March 4, 2005