Wandy, Joseph 'Butch'

Joseph Wandy, Jr, also known as Butch Wandy, passed away due to complications from lung disease on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at age 82. Butch was born at Hartford Hospital on July 21, 1941, the son of Joseph and Julia Shiembob Wandy. He was brought up in the Southwest section of Hartford, and educated at local schools. He graduated from Bulkeley High School in 1959, and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, and then entered the military via ROTC. He served in Vietnam as a First Lieutenant, and returned to the business world in December of 1965. He was hired by Heublein Inc. to serve as a Market Analyst for the Director of Marketing. He left to join INSILCO as the Silver Analyst. In 1970, he was hired as the sales manager for ROWLUX by The Rowland Development. It was at RDC that he discovered his destiny, by working with the top contemporary artists in the world, including Salvador Dali, Roy Liechtenstien, and Andy Warhol. He worked very closely with German born artist Ernst Lurker, and soon collaborated with him on many projects. He was also married to Dominique Lieutet, a French National from Dijon, for 14 years. They were amicably separated in 1984. Butch was born with a creative gift. He soon formed a company which utilizes Finnish birch, which he named TIGERWOOD. One of the products he created was ULTRA RESONANT CLAVES. The company moved to Haiti, where it dissolved due to labor issues. However, theses claves ended up in the hands of the world's foremost percussionists, such as Adam Rudolph, Jack DeJohnette, Cindy Blackman, and Jaimoe, and will be heard on the airways forever. Butch then devoted full time to his MICROPRISMATIC IMAGING, until he was sidelined by multiple medical problems. His artwork survives and is on permanent display around the world. St. Joseph's University in West Hartford is the beneficiary of all remaining artwork. His work will be displayed in their museum. Images can be viewed and purchased at butchwandy.com. Butch was an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts. He will be remembered as funny, with a cutting sense of humor; athletic; a loyal friend; always well up on world affairs; generous to a fault; philanthropic; and a lifelong UConn basketball fanatic. All the time maintaining the heart of a child. Butch was especially thankful for the exceptional assistance he received from his brother, Richard ‘Rick' Wandy of Glastonbury and Rick's wife Corinne Pecor Wandy. Butch is also survived by their son, Kevin Wandy, his wife Natashsa, and their children Luke and Olivia; their daughter Nicole Shippee, her husband Nathaniel and their children Jack, Lindsey, and Ryan; and his brother Glen Wandy, life partner Lydia Weisman, and Glen's daughter Tiffany and her husband, Lt. Col. Brian Roberts. Butch was also thankful for his dear friends Mort Fishman (deceased), Mike Carucci (deceased), Dr. Ed Goracy (deceased), Paul Conee (deceased), John Pecora, Walter K. Sidor, Henry Link, Arthur H. Alden, III, and fellow artist Layne. Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family. The Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home has care of the arrangements. To extend condolences, please visit Farleysullivan.com.