David Woolley
Old Lyme — David Bronson Woolley of Old Lyme passed away peacefully Jan. 30, 2021. He was born July 12, 1933, to the late Harry and Doris (Woodruff) Woolley of Longmeadow, Mass.
David was a devoted father to his son and daughterin-law Michael and Patricia Woolley of Redondo Beach, Calif.; and his two grandchildren, Katherine and Alexander. He was the dearly loved brother and brotherin-law of Patricia and Michael Cronin of Old Saybrook; his nieces,
Jane (Steven) Murphy of Mystic, Martha (Richard) Turner of Stonington, and their children, Daniel and Jill Murphy, Lauren and Justin Turner. He also leaves his beloved friend and companion of 26 years, Beverly Curry of Farmington and Old Lyme. He is also survived by his stepchildren, Cecile Audette, Laurie (Jeffery) Elliot, James (Margo) Caley, David Caley, Steven Caley, and their families.
The impact David had on his family is immeasurable. David graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1955. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and spent most of his two years of service at the Great Lakes Naval Base located north of Chicago. He thereafter spent 52 years as a bank officer specializing in commercial lending and loan recovery, initially with Hartford National Bank & Trust Co. in Hartford, later with Plainville Bank & Trust Co. in Plainville, and finally 18 years with Washington Trust in Westerly, R.I., retiring in 2009. During this time, he was a resident of the town of West Hartford, and thereafter purchased a summer home at Old Lyme Shores in Old Lyme, which in 1989 became his permanent residence until the present time.
During his entire adult life, David devoted himself to performing public service. It was as follows: 11 years, from 1980 to 1991, serving as a member of the board of Connecticut Police Academy located in Haddam; 20-year service with the American Heart Association Connecticut Affiliate, with two years as State chairman from 1991 to 1993; treasurer of the Wheeler Clinic of Plainville from 1977 to 1983; and 45-year member of the Rotary Club in five clubs, ending as a member of the Niantic Club. During this time, he served as president of two of the clubs; and during his membership, he received the Paul Harris Award, which is the highest award given by the Rotary Club to its members. He was first elected to the board of finance of Old Lyme in November 1995, and served continuously until 2019. During that time, he was designated as a board of finance specialist to the Old Lyme Volunteer Fire Department. David was a lifelong dedicated member of the Democratic Party. He served as president for many years of the Old Lyme Shores Beach Association. He became a member of the Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee in 1994, was elected chairman in 2002, then served in that capacity continuously until 2018. He remained an extremely active member of the committee until the present time. During that time, he oversaw a substantial increase in the Democratic Party registration in the Town of Old Lyme, and the successful election of important town offices from the Democratic Party during this period. He ran numerous fundraisers for the Party, including the beloved “Lobster Fest.”
David’s primary interest in life involved dedication of time and activities with his family and friends, and his many hours spent performing public service. He greatly enjoyed his political activities as a highly respected and loved member and chairman of the local Democratic Political Party. Also, from the time he purchased a Ford Model-A with the proceeds from his teenage paper route, he had a lifelong interest and love of automobiles, particularly Fords.
Throughout his lifetime, David was known for his kindness, dignity, understanding, ability to spend time and listen to others and his great leadership skills and ability. David was always the consummate gentleman, a good friend and respected mentor to many. He always had time for people and had a kind word for everyone. He was always the first to graciously offer to help and to volunteer. He will be greatly missed.
Because of the coronavirus epidemic, there will be no services or calling hours. Swan Funeral Home, 1224 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, is in charge of arrangements.