Norton, Nicholas

Nicholas Norton, of the North Westchester section of Colchester, died on Tuesday. He was 92. He was the son of Edward Norton and Dorothy Mccall Norton. He lived his entire life on the land where his ancestors helped found this small New England town. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, the former Lynn Kilbourne of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. He is also survived by his sons Christopher (Carter), Andrew (Tom), Jeremy (Jane) and son-in-law, Greg Giles, and also grandchildren Katherine, Alexandra, Edward, Oliver and Sara and great grandchildren Evie, Jack, Addie and two more on the way. He is also survived by his sister, Nan Wasniewski. He was predeceased by his devoted and cherished daughter, Diana Giles, and his sister, Pat Engel. Nick graduated from Bacon Academy (1947) at 16 and then also graduated from the Loomis School (1948). He then went to Haverford College (1952). When he was at Haverford, Edward Murrow visited the college to interview a number of students and he chose Nick's spoken essay to broadcast on his national radio program, “This I Believe.” Nick then served four years as a communications officer in the United States Naval Reserve at Sangley Point (the Philippines), Norfolk and London. He then began work at the C. H. Norton Company, the family's shoe board mill in North Westchester. After the passing of his father, he served as president from 1958 until its sale in 1966. During this time he also served a decade on the Colchester Board of Finance and was elected chair under both Democrat and Republican majorities. Nick then went on to serve as Governor Tom Meskill's Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of Welfare. While there, Nick noticed that many people regularly called the state with various questions. It was his decision to organize a dedicated bank of employees to field questions from the public across a range of topics - an effort which survives today as 211.

Nick then went to Washington to serve as Commissioner of Welfare in the department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) under President Ford. After that, he consulted on these matters with the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Later, Nick served as a founder and chair of Grassroots East, the GOP organization for eastern Connecticut. He also served both as finance director and executive director of the Connecticut Republican party during the 1980s. For 15 years he served as a member and chair of the Colchester Wetlands Commission. He also chaired the Open Space Commission, the Republican Town Committee and the Bacon Academy Board of Trustees. He also served as Town Moderator many times between the 1950s through the 2000s. Nick was kind, quiet, bright, honest, gentlemanly and decent. He was a very good cook. He was a very good father. Most of all, he admired and adored Lynn Kilbourne, the woman he loved for over 74 years. Calling hours will be held on Friday, March 3, 2023 from 4 to 7 PM at the Aurora-mccarthy Funeral Home, 167 Old Hartford Rd, Colchester, CT 06415. A memorial service will take place the following day, Saturday March 4, 2023 at 11 AM directly at the Westchester Congregational Church, 98 Cemetery Road, Colchester, CT 06415. Donations in Nick's memory may be made to the Bacon Academy Board of Trustees, P.O. Box 67, Colchester, CT 06415. The family also wants to thank the good people at the Colchester Hayward Fire Department for the many times they came to Nick's aid.