EDWARD STEBBINS

STEBBINS--Edward Clinton, 82, of New Canaan, CT, died Wednesday August 29, 2012. "Ned" Stebbins fought Parkinson's Disease in his final years and was able to pass peacefully at the Meadow Ridge Retirement Community in Redding, CT. Ned was born February 26, 1930 in Niagara Falls, NY, the son of Dr. Edward C. Stebbins and Hope (Blodgett) Stebbins. He graduated with distinction from St. Paul's School (1947), Williams College (1951), and Harvard Law School (1954), where he was Law Review Editor. On July 17, 1954, Ned married Bernadine Schildge at her home in Gouverneur, NY. The couple moved to Charlottesville, VA where Ned was serving in the U.S. Army, teaching at the Judge Advocate General (JAG) School at the University of Virginia. After serving three years, Ned moved his family to Connecticut and joined the New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell practicing corporate litigation. In 1964, Ned joined Freeport Sulphur where he remained for 25 years until his retirement in 1989. At Freeport, Ned held various senior management positions, helping transform the company into the global resources firm of Freeport McMoRan, Inc. (FMI) through dozens of innovative acquisitions, partnerships and restructurings. In 1984, FMI relocated to New Orleans, LA and Ned was promoted to General Counsel and a member of the firm's Operating Committee. After retirement, Ned became an active volunteer at the Norwalk Hospital, Waveny Care Center and the New Canaan Library. He also teamed up at the Norwalk Yacht Club, rowing for "The Ancient and the Honorable," winning numerous senior competitions in the U.S. and Europe. An avid historian, Ned was a hereditary member of the Revolutionary War organization, the Society of the Cincinnati. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Bernadine, and his brother, John Stebbins of Scarborough, ME; three children, Victoria Frelow of Nyack, NY, Charles Stebbins of Fairfield, CT and Robert Stebbins of Weston, CT; and six grandchildren. A memorial reception will be held on Saturday, September 22 at noon at the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church in Fairfield, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ned's memory can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.