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John Chatfield Jr., 92, Easton Inventor, Firefighter

EASTON, Conn. – John Farquhar Chatfield Jr., a longtime Easton resident, died Dec. 24 at Yale-New Haven Hospital, surrounded by family. He was 92.

He was born on Nov. 27, 1920, in Bridgeport to John F. and Helen Norcross Lewis Chatfield. He moved to Easton in 1933. He graduated from Bassick High School in 1939 and Syracuse University in 1944.

He met and married Priscilla Anne Noyes at Syracuse University.

A World War II veteran, Chatfield served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945. He was stationed in the Pacific and participated in the invasion of Okinawa. 

After the war, Chatfield became associated with Chatfield Insurance Agency in Bridgeport before expanding into real estate. He also received a patent for the water drill, a hydraulic-operated fire-extinguishing drill.

Chatfield also served as a volunteer firefighter for decades and was president of the Easton Volunteer Fire Company during its 50th anniversary year in 1971.

He was an original member with the Easton Ambulance Association, a member of various Masonic organizations and was past master of Aspetuck Lodge 142 in Easton.

Chatfield served on the vestry of Christ Church in Easton, where he engineered the construction of the church pond. He also lived in Redding for 10 years and was active with the Republican Town Committee there.

In later years, he volunteered with the Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Program and was a member of the Fairfield County Beaglers, Fayerweather Yacht Club, the Society of Mayflower Descendants and various historical societies.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years; a daughter, Priscilla Anne (Stephen) Anderson, of Eliot, Maine; two sons, John Farquhar (Beverley) Chatfield III, of Ridgewood, N.J., and Joel Alden Chatfield, of New York City; and five grandchildren.

He was predeceased by two sisters, Marcia C. Smith and Mary Elizabeth Dotter.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport. Burial will be private. Spear-Miller Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Memorial gifts may be made to Trinity Church Sesquicentennial Fund, P.O. Box 400, Southport, CT 06890, or North Jersey Friendship House Autism Day Program, 125 Atlantic Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

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