Foote Jr, Dwight Williams
Dwight Williams Foote, Jr. March 18, 1936 - March 11, 2023
Dwight Williams ("Tad") Foote Jr. of Rockwood, Maine passed away peacefully on March 11, 2023 with his wife, Kathleen, by his side in Sacramento, CA., after a long stint of kidney disease, Tad grew up in West Hartford, CT and lived in Glastonbury and Kensington for a combined 35 years. Upon his retirement Tad resided year round at his log home on the shores of Moosehead Lake in Rockwood, ME.
Tad was born March 18, 1936 in New York City to the late Dwight Sr and Helene (Davies)
Foote, the oldest of four boys. He spent his young life on Castlewood Road in West Hartford.
After graduating from Hall High School, he attended Dartmouth College where he majored in history, made life-long friends and became an expert skier. Tad interrupted his studies at Dartmouth and served 3 years in the US Navy touring the Mediterranean and began his love of the ocean. Following his tour of duty he returned to Dartmouth, graduated in 1961. Tad then joined his father, founder of Dwight Foote Inc., a material handling company that specialized in industrial overhead cranes. Following his fathers death, Tad ran the Hartford area company until he sold the business and retired in 2004. He had a well-earned reputation as a caring and giving boss who remained friends with employees decades after their employ.
Tad married Gail Palmer Clark in 1961, and they raised their three daughters in Glastonbury, with a second home on Jordan Cove in Waterford, CT. They enjoyed many sailing vacations in the Caribbean with friends as well as their summers in Waterford. In the 1970s during a visit to Moosehead Lake, Tad fell in love with the area and vowed he would buy a place there "when the house with the white boathouse" was for sale. In 1985 he and Gail purchased that property in Barrows Cove and shared summer and winter adventures with other "Covie" friends for many years. Tranquility was interrupted by Gail's passing in 1996 after a long battle with cancer.
In 1998 Tad renewed a friendship with Gail's dear college friend, Kathleen Newton (Kaiser).
After a cross country romance, in Nov. 1999 they were married in the chapel in Yosemite National Park surrounded by their combined families and kazoos. In 2000 Tad and Kathy designed and built a beautiful log home on the Moosehead property which has become an extended family's gathering spot. During their married years Tad and Kathy were blessed with many traveling adventures together but always were glad to get back to the lake.
Tad was a man of many varied interests--sailing, boating, gardening, German Shepherds, WWII history, Red Sox, enjoying single malt scotch, making his "Killer Caesar salad"for guests, attending the opera, fresh squeezed OJ, and wood carving (many birds and even a full totem pole in Maine with the face of an animal for all eleven grandchildren and step-grandchildren.
Tad was an active participant in community activities and served on the Board of Directors of the Moosehead Historical Society and Northern Light CA Dean Hospital in recent years
Tad is survived by his wife, Kathleen, his daughters Deborah Clark (Hunter), Jennifer Nagle (David, and his children Samuel and Emily) and Elizabeth Foote Watson; and grandchildren Ashley (fiancé Nick) and Michael Burr (partner Jackie) and Hank (Kathryn) and Dwight Clark. He also leaves his step-families in California: Peter (Cathy) Newton, Craig (Kim) Newton and John (Sarah) Newton and their children Alison, Kira, Walker, Emma, Owen, Ben and Drew. He is also survived by brothers Daniel (Polly) and Jonathan. Tad was predeceased by his first wife, Gail, and his brother Rev. Stephen Foote (March 8,2023).
Tad's love of life, family and friends will be held in our hearts as his last gift to us.
A Celebration of Life will be held July 3, 2023 at the Bartley Event Center, Greenville, ME at
11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Rockwood Community Church, PO Box 84, Rockwood, ME 04478, Northern Light CA Dean Hospital, 364 Pritham Ave., Greenville, ME 04441, Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation Inc., 103 Vision Way, Bloomfield, CT 06002