Robert Morris "Bob" Sussler

1928 - 2017

New London - Robert "Bob" Morris Sussler, a prominent area attorney and an advisor to many notable figures involved in Connecticut politics, passed away in his sleep Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, aged 89. He grew up in Norwich, resided in New London, and was deeply fond of the region and its community. He left his mark on several important local institutions.

Born on April 19, 1928, in New York City, Sussler was the son of Libby Levin Sussler and Dr. David Sussler, M.D. He lived his early years in Norwich, residing on Rockwell Street with his parents, his brother Frank, and sister Sally. He attended elementary school in Norwich and then the Phillips Andover Preparatory School in Andover, Mass., from which he graduated in 1945. He continued his education at Yale College, graduating in the class of 1949, followed by law school at Northwestern University from which he received his legal degree.

Throughout his life, Sussler was involved in politics and an advocate for consumer interests. Sussler was a decided big and small "D" democrat, supporting progressive change. During his college years, he was a member of the Americans for Democratic Action, participating in the organization's activities on campus and serving as a delegate at the national level. He was an assistant and advisor to Chester Bowles, governor of Connecticut, and the campaign director for Joseph P. Lyford, in Joe's unsuccessful run for the position of Congressman-at-large from Connecticut.

Sussler served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany during the Korean War. Ruth Lyford, Joe's sister, accompanied Sussler to Germany and married him there. Following an honorable discharge from the Army, Sussler returned with his wife to Norwich to begin his career as a lawyer and start a family, residing initially on West Town Street. The couple later moved to New London, purchasing and moving into Sussler's parents' summer home on the shore in Neptune Park. Sussler pursued his professional career, specializing in the areas of real estate and public utility law and governmental relations. He was a partner in the law firms of Ritter, Berman and Sussler and later, Sussler and Sbarge, both in Hartford and Norwich, and then, Conway, Londregan, Leuba, MacNamara and Sussler in New London. He continued his involvement in politics, acting as informal advisor to Abraham Ribicoff, whose summer home was across the street from Sussler's residence, and advising other Connecticut officials, including Governors John Dempsey and Ella Grasso, and various candidates in their campaigns for federal, state and local office. He successfully represented the City of Hartford during the administration of Nicholas Carbone on behalf of electric consumers in numerous public utility rate regulatory proceedings before the then Connecticut Public Utility Control Authority ("PUCA") and in appeals of PUCA decisions to the courts. He was instrumental in securing the passage in 1976 of the authorizing state legislation creating the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative ("CMEEC") as a non-profit entity able to act in the collective interest of Connecticut's municipal electric utilities and their customers and directing the legal and business strategy, enabled in part by CMEEC, to allow the municipal electric utilities to respond successfully to sweeping changes in the electric utility industry. He provided legal advice during their formative periods to other area public service institutions, such as the Child Guidance Center, the Thames Science Center and Hospice Care, and to the first African-American owned bank established in Connecticut. Included among his many clients were a national retail store chain and numerous urban downtown, commercial and residential real estate developers. At the end of his legal career, Sussler served as General Counsel to the electric cooperative, retiring from that position and his legal practice following a stroke suffered in 1992.

Sussler responded to the health challenges of his stroke with his customary optimism and energy. He continued to publish an economic newsletter, while winding down his legal practice. He also researched, wrote and published a book, entitled "A Brain's Battle Against a Stroke," addressing his own illness, the life and medical career of his father, David, and the impact of changes in the medical profession from Sussler's father's time to the present as they affected Sussler's recovery. David was the chief of surgery at Backus Hospital during the middle of the last century. In his book, Sussler called attention, anchored by his own experience, to the increasing role of technology, specialization and bureaucracy in medicine. He described the improvements resulting from these changes but also their costs, entailing a lessening of the human touch and attention to the whole patient, emphasized by David and his earlier generation of doctors; values which Sussler advocated should be re-integrated into medical practice.

When not engaged in his legal practice, Sussler was a dedicated amateur lobsterman, setting his pots each summer off his home in New London and preparing sumptuous meals of Long Island Sound's bounty harvested by him for family and friends. Sussler authored a wistful meditation on his half century of lobstering, published in the New York Times, entitled "The End of a Tradition." He was an avid baker of popovers, perfecting his recipe over many years.

Sussler had a lifelong interest in Mexico and Latin America, beginning with a summer Sussler spent under the auspices of the Experiment for International Living in the early 1940s in Oaxaca, Mexico. Sussler later contributed to the raising of funds to assist the Chilean people following a severe earthquake there. Sussler traveled across Mexico and Central America, closely followed developments in the region, and kept in contact with friends from the region whom he had met on his travels.

Sussler was a fan of the painting and artistic career of his wife. Ruth. Her talent, training and activities in the creative arts had a decisive influence on Sussler, expanding his interests and helping him better engage the "right" as well as "left" brain. Following Sussler's retirement, he and his wife would spend winters at Pelican Cove in Sarasota, Fla., where he much enjoyed the daily routine of swimming, his presentation of organized talks to neighbors about current issues and events, and the camaraderie of friends and visits of family.

Bob Sussler loved southeastern Connecticut, its shore and particularly Neptune Park. He deeply appreciated the coming of each summer, the ever-changing lights and colors of Long Island Sound's sea and sky, his daily swims extending long past summer's end, and discussions about life and politics shared with friends and relatives sitting on the porch at his home, looking out on the Sound. While greatly attached to this special place, Bob's energy, curiosity and frame of mind kept him always engaged with and interested in the events of the larger world, with study, trips and friendships that took him around the globe. Goodnight, sweet prince; and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Bob leaves his family, who mourn him deeply. Surviving him are his wife of more than sixty years, Ruth Lyford Sussler of New London; his brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Joan Sussler of Farmington, and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Richard and Harriet Rauh of Westport; Bob's children and their spouses, Philip Sussler and the Honorable Diana Leyden of Silver Spring, Md., Albert and Emi Sussler of Tokoname, Japan, Phoebe Sussler Pilj of New London, and Anna Sussler of Norwich; his grandchildren, Cori Leyden-Sussler of Manchester, Libby Leyden-Sussler of Mitchell, S.D., Rui, Rheo and Robin Sussler of Tokoname, Japan, Taft and Robert Pilj of Knoxville, Tenn.; and a great-grandson, Saku of Tokoname, Japan. Also surviving are Bob's numerous nieces, nephews and their children. Bob was predeceased by his cherished parents, David and Libby, and his dear sister, Sally Simon. The family particularly wants to thank Phoebe for her dedicated efforts in caring for Bob during his last several years, Bob's nieces, Rebecca Lyford and Betsy Sussler, and Bob's second cousins, Andrew Grant and Liz Savage, for their many special kindnesses.

There will be a private family gravesite service on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The family will be sitting Shiva beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at 37 Mott Ave., New London. A ceremony celebrating Bob's life will be held at the family's home in Neptune Park, anticipated for the coming summer.