Guptil Jr., Winthrop H.

Husband, father, grandfather; World War II veteran, and businessman; Winthrop H. “Gup” Guptill Jr. passed away on May 21, 2021 at the age of 96.Born in December 1924 on his family's farm in New Hampshire, Gup moved to Newington, CT with his family in 1932. Raised in the Great Depression, Gup began working in his early teens delivering milk, jerking sodas, setting pins in a bowling alley, and selling newspapers. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on his 17th birthday, Gup enlisted in the Army as soon as he was of age. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1944, Gup ferried C-46 transport planes across the Pacific, dropped paratroops and cargo with the 13th Troop Carrier Squadron of the Air Forces' 403rd Group in the Pacific theater, and served in China and Japan. Discharged in 1947, he married Carolyn Phipps in 1950. They remained married until Carolyn's death in 2017. Gup and Carolyn raised three children: Carolyn (Lynn), a veterinarian at Purdue University; Bruce, a tech market analyst; and Ann, a former U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) member and proprietor of equestrian training center Fox Ledge Farm, Inc. After his discharge, Gup partnered with friend and fellow Army Air Forces pilot Elmer (Len) Leonard to form E.W. Leonard Co., in East Hartford, CT, which grew to represent U.S. and European manufacturers of plumbing and heating equipment throughout the northeastern U.S. The business expanded to include New England Valve Co. and then Northland Boiler Co., moving to East Haddam, CT, in the mid-1970s. Gup formally retired from business in 2010 at age 86. Gup also dedicated time to his family's horse and business interests. He formed Fox Ledge Inc. with his wife and children; laid out plans and built infrastructure for the farm in East Haddam, and built, finished, and remodeled structures for Fox Ledge Tack Shop and Fox Ledge Farm, often working with son-inlaw Ed Iarusso. Gup and Carolyn were known for their support of the U.S. Pony Club, USET, and associated organizations, hosting events at Fox Ledge and at their home in East Haddam. Predeceased by wife Carolyn and his sister Ann Bengston, Gup is survived by his sisters Margaret Goulden and Ruth Campbell, and by his three children and seven grandchildren: James and John “Nick” Iarusso of East Haddam, CT; Meghan, John, and Sarah Guptill of Barnstable, MA; and Nathaniel and Matthew Yoran of Clarks Hill, IN. Calling hours will be 5 to 7 pm at Biega's Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown, CT. on Thursday 27 May, followed by a 7 pm service. A Graveside service and burial with military honors will be at 10 am Friday 29 May at the State Veterans Cemetery, 317 Bow Lane, Middletown, CT. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.