Burdett Spiegel
New London — Burdett C. “Burt” Spiegel, 92, of New London, husband of 67 years of Ruth (Dorfman) Spiegel, died Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.
Born April 29, 1923, in New Haven, to the late Charles and Anna (Koch) Spiegel, he grew up in East Haven by the water, where he developed his love of boats. Burdett “Burt” graduated from East Haven High School in 1941, and worked briefly in New Haven until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942 during World War II. He was assigned to the 9th Army Air Corps which participated in the Normandy invasion, and saw action in Saint-Lo, Belgium and the rest of the European Theater until V-E Day.
Discharged from the Army in 1945, Burt took advantage of the G.I. Bill and earned a bachelor of science degree from Springfield College in 1950. Between college semesters while working as waterfront director at a summer camp in Maine, he met an attractive young counselor named Ruth. They married on Sept. 17, 1948, and moved to New Haven in 1951 where they raised their family.
In 1982, Burt and Ruth moved to New London where Burt began to work at A.S.P. Security Systems, a business started in 1972 by their son, Carl.
Burt owned and maintained several boats over the years, each one named “Ruth,” after his beloved wife; both brought him much joy and pleasure. He belonged to the U.S. Power Squadron, volunteering his time to teach courses in navigation and boating safety. Burt was a 50-year member of the Masons, first joining Momauguin Lodge #138 A.F. & A.M. which is now part of Corinthian Lodge #63 A.F.& A.M., North Haven.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his brother, Charles (Joan) Spiegel Jr.; his children, Barbara Spiegel of South Norwalk, Carl Spiegel and his wife, Britt, of East Lyme, Debby (Spiegel) Richey and her husband, Lester, of Hamden, and Robert Spiegel, who has resided with Burt and Ruth the past three years to provide care and assistance; grandchildren Kendra (Spiegel) Stampor and her husband, Andrew, of Kalamazoo, Mich., Stephen Spiegel and his wife, Mary, of New London, Benjamin Richey and his partner, Dulijeta Becirovic, of Middletown, Alana Richey and her partner, Marco Jocic, of East Granby, and Guillem Colom of East Lyme; great-grandchildren Katy Stampor, Audrey Spiegel, Charlotte Spiegel, Piper Spiegel, Max Richey, Mason Richey, and Landon Richey; his sister-in-law, Elsa Epstein of Worcester, Mass.; and nephews, Charles Spiegel III, Wesley Spiegel and Jeffrey Spiegel, all of Cape Cod, Mass., and Kenneth Epstein and David Epstein of Massachusetts.
The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Byles Memorial Home, 99 Huntington St., New London. Burial will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery. Calling hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association National Office, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
Please visit www.Byles.com to sign the guestbook or to share a memory.