George Whitaker Fouser

George Whitaker Fouser, 100, died peacefully in his home in the Short Beach area of Branford, Connecticut, on February 25. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on October 11, 1925, to his parents Margaret Whitaker and George Fouser.

George was a student at Worthington Hooker Elementary School in New Haven and at Short Beach Elementary School in Branford before attending Hamden Hall Day School, from which he graduated in 1943. At the age of 17, George joined the US Navy and enrolled in Yale University's V-12 officer training program. He was stationed in Illinois and Indiana from 1944 to 1946 and learned to fly Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers in preparation for the US invasion of Japan. After the war, he went to college at Brown where he earned a B.A. in 1950. He went on to graduate studies at Harvard University and completed an M.A. in the History of Art in 1951.

George married Rosamond Hammer, the love of his life, in 1947. They had been friends since childhood. In 1962 they moved to Darien where they raised their family. George loved their Darien home. The ten-room farmhouse had no electricity until he installed it. He cleared the land, put up fences, cared for horses, and taught himself the art of home improvement.

In 1998, George and Rosamond returned to George's childhood home in Short Beach. They both loved this coastal community. George always enjoyed sailing, clamming, fishing, and swimming, and in Short Beach these activities were steps away from his door. Rosamond passed away in 2014.

Beginning in the 1960s, George worked for Ferdinand Roten Galleries, based in Baltimore, MD, a company specializing in prints by classic and contemporary artists. He was later the personal assistant to Jerome Fisher, one of the founders of Nine West, the national women's shoe company.

George was passionate about the arts and fortunate in later life to live near New Haven where he could frequent museums, concert halls, and churches. The Episcopal Church and church music were important to him and to Rosamond. He was a man of deep quiet faith who loved life and never lost his spark. He had a dynamic intelligence and a mind open to everything. He was endlessly energetic, curious, and warm-hearted. He read widely, listened carefully, and his attentiveness was a gift to others. He wrote wonderful letters, enjoyed receiving them, and forgot nothing. He had a gift for cultivating deep, meaningful relationships with people from vastly different backgrounds. He was happiest welcoming friends and family to his home. He especially loved dogs and was never without their companionship.

He will be deeply missed by his extended family who depended on his color commentary and exact recall to fill the gaps in their understanding of those who had gone before. He is survived by his children and their spouses, Julian and Ellen Fouser, Jocelyn and Douglas Summerton, Mark Christian Fouser, Annelise Fouser Vladic, Andrew B. Wheat Fouser, and Nathaniel Jocelyn Fouser; grandchildren and their spouses, Jonathan and Marta Filip-Fouser, Jordan Vladic and YungChi Shih, Molly Summerton and Rory Reynolds, Nathaniel and Amanda Summerton, and Melanie and Mark Buffone; and great grandchildren Nevé, Marina, Alivia, Charlotte, Isabelle, Emily, Rachel, Mark, Nathan, Riley, and Landon. He is predeceased by his sons Christian and Jonathan Fouser, grandson Matthew Burkle, and brother Donald Fouser.

Memorial gifts in George's name can be made to Doctors Without Borders. A memorial service will be held this spring.