James "Bud" Makowicki, 85, of Sandy Hook, beloved husband to his devoted wife of 60 years, Priscilla (Bean) Makowicki, died March 9 at River Glen Health Care Center in Southbury. He was born December 30, 1930, in Norwich, where he was raised, along with 13 brothers and sisters.www.lbda.org; or National Parkinson Foundation at www.parkinson.org.www.honanfh.comTo leave an online condolence visit

In addition to his beloved wife, sons Stephen, and wife Alejandra, of Reading, Penn., and Wayne, and fiancée LoriAnn, of New Milford; daughter Sandee, and partner Elliot, of Chicago; sister Eleanor of Mystic; and grandchildren Matthew, Melissa, Curtis, and Tia Makowicki; along with many nieces and nephews, survive Mr Makowicki.

He attended Norwich Free Academy where he was an avid runner and earned many medals, along with a state championship in the one-mile race. He met and married his wife in 1956.

He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He went on to attend Philadelphia Museum College of Art, and earned a degree in industrial design. He was employed at Curtis Packaging in Sandy Hook for 20 years as manager of the design department. He went on to start his own company, Packaging Concepts, where he worked until he retired.

Mr Makowicki was a passionate woodworker and a do-it-yourselfer who earned the nickname "the woodchuck," and who enjoyed teaching his craft to others. He especially enjoyed working with children, and taught several free woodworking classes for children at area libraries on his weekends. He designed and built many wooden toys, and wrote two books on making heirloom wooden toys.

He also was loved by his neighborhood. "Bud" designed and built two award winning-floats for the Newtown Labor Day Parade, working alongside neighborhood children and friends. He and Priscilla loved music. When his children were young, they hosted neighborhood Christmas sing-alongs, recording it all on his "state of the art" reel-to-reel tape deck, and in later years going to see live jazz, and dancing with his wife and friends.

Friends may call at the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, Saturday, March 12, from 1 to 3 pm. A prayer service will take place at 3 pm. Interment in Newtown Village Cemetery will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lewy Body Dementia Association at

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