Bruce W. MANTERNACH

Bruce MANTERNACH Obituary

MANTERNACH, Bruce W.
Bruce W. Manternach, 99, of Avon, died Saturday, (September 21, 2013). He had lived in Avon for 60 years. He was born in West Hartford in 1914, son of Michael C. and Grace (Woods) Manternach, and attended Kingswood School, Dartmouth College, and Yale Law School. He practiced law with the Hartford law firm, Robinson & Cole, retiring as Senior Partner in 1982. His practice consisted largely of trial work and appeals. At various times in his career he served as a Director of the Taylor & Fenn Co., the Hartford Faience Co., and Beach and Co., Inc. He also served as a Trustee of Hillyer College, a Corporator of Hartford Hospital, a Trustee of the Heublein Medical Foundation, a Director of the Salvation Army, Inc., the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation and the Farmington River Watershed Association. He served one term as Assistant State's Attorney for Hartford County and was Chairman of the Avon Zoning Board of Appeals for nine years. During World War II he served in the Legal Division of the Quartermaster General's Office in Washington and as Chief of the Legal Branch of the joint Army-Navy Purchasing Office in New York City. He was a keen outdoorsman. He belonged to many fishing clubs in Canada and New England and traveled widely in pursuit of his fishing and hunting hobbies. He leaves two children, Josie Manternach of Colorado and Bruce W. Manternach, Jr. of Florence, Italy; four stepchildren, Thomas R. Cox of Farmington, Christopher Cox of Mystic, Mally Cox-Chapman of Hartford and Elizabeth Cox of Michigan; his nephew, Roger H. Manternach of Canton; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Josie (Conant) Manternach and his second wife, Elizabeth (Mitchell) (Cox) Manternach. He was also predeceased by his brother, Roger W. Manternach.
At Bruce's request there will be no services. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of one's choice. Please visit his "Book of Memories" at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online condolences.

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Published by Hartford Courant from Oct. 13 to Oct. 15, 2013.

Memories and Condolences
for Bruce MANTERNACH

2 Entries

October 28, 2013

Thoughts from Peg & Tracy Atkinson
Bruce was a gentleman and the last of those we came to know affectionately as Old Hartford. We were friends beginning in 1977. From our new home on Cider Brook Road we looked across the road to Bruce's little red barn and quiet green field, so different from the urban places we had known. Over time it became a real comfort to Bruce and to us being within sight of one another, especially during heavy snows, power outages and lost dogs. Bruce cared deeply about his land, his trees and the stream. He loved his home. He had a regular place at our dining table and a favorite chair in our living room. We were dinner guests in his home many times. He was very mindful of the correct setting of his own dinner table. He expected proper etiquette to be observed and the order of things to be just so. Not very long ago we thought Bruce's recall was still remarkably clear as to his colleagues, the War Years and his days in Washington D.C. Bruce did not laugh readily, but he did enjoy a funny story. There was a Yankee reserve about him. The Golf Cart - Mark Mitchell's brilliant idea - brought new life into Bruce's world. He drove it down to our house, pleased with himself to find he could actually do it. Sometimes he and Nina and Lucky would pile in and drive down to pay us a surprose visit. What fun that was.
Bruce was very tenderhearted. On that sad day in July of 2012 we drove up the hill to visit him and to say our last goodbyes. He cried.

John Gale

October 15, 2013

I started in the practice of law in 1977 with an older lawyer named John Calvocoressi. Calvo, as he was known, was good friends with Bruce, and so over the course of the next few years I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Bruce. Wonderful man. My condolences to the family.

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