Former Greenwich resident bequests $900K to the Nathaniel Witherell nursing home
GREENWICH — The Nathaniel Witherell, the townowned nursing home and rehabilitation facility, will receive a bequest of approximately $900,000 from the estate of former Greenwich resident Reinhold Vogel.
One of the largest single gifts in recent history to the Witherell, the stipulation in Vogel’s will is for the funds to be used either to enhance the Witherell’s physical facility and residents’ lives or to establish an endowment.
Vogel, who developed advanced radar systems for military aircraft and other digital circuitry, died in February 2022 at age 91.
“We deeply appreciate Mr. Vogel’s extraordinary generosity and support of the Witherell,” said Laurence Simon, chair of the Nathaniel Witherell Board of Directors, who noted that the gift came as a surprise. “Mr. Vogel had not been one of our residents or patients but, through his gift, considered us as an important Greenwich community asset.”
Vogel grew up in New York City and Yonkers, N.Y., before retiring and moving to Greenwich in the 1970s. As a 6-yearold
boy, he watched the Hindenburg airship fly over Manhattan on its way to New Jersey, where it exploded in flames on docking at a facility in Lakehurst.
An electrical engineer by training who earned advanced degrees at Columbia University, Vogel worked on a wide range of electronic and radar devices.
Vogel was a member of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club and the Captain Harbor Power
Squadron where he assisted in teaching sailing and safe boating classes. He also taught engineering courses at Norwalk Technical College — now Norwalk Community College — and served as volunteer helping senior citizens how to use computers.
The future of the Witherell as a town-operated facility has
been a source of debate in the community, with some community leaders calling for it to be sold off to a private entity. Others oppose a potential sale.
The Nathaniel Witherell provides skilled nursing care for older adults. It also offers short-term rehabilitation and sub-acute post-hospitalization care.