Samuel St. John Haviland

Samuel St. John Haviland, 96, of Simsbury, CT died on January 4, 2020. He was the son of Winthrop Alden Haviland and Helen Curtis St. John, and the brother of Winthrop A. Haviland, Jr. and Mary Haviland Carey. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. Sam was a graduate of Kingswood School, Yale University, and Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He was a terrific athlete, starring on the soccer, basketball, and baseball teams that he played on in high school and college. He served in the US Navy during World War II and the Korean War, at one point spending months at sea without touching land. After a brief period working in the insurance industry he switched to banking. His almost three-decade career as a banker at the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company was focused on small business lending, and helping those that were underserved by the banking industry. He married Frances Cheyney Beekley on November 4, 1961 and had four children. He loved sailing and being on the water at all stages of life. He was also an avid racquet sport player who was committed for several decades to his weekly tennis and paddle groups. He was interested in genealogy and enjoyed researching his roots and the everyday lives of his ancestors in Europe. He enjoyed spending time on Nantucket during the summers and also loved taking his family to Appalachian Mountain Club lodges and cabins in New England. During his retirement years he could be found taking classes in medieval history, reading the New York Times every day, and sharing his views on finances and investing with those around him. He was predeceased by his older siblings, Winthrop A. Haviland Jr. and Mary Haviland Carey. He leaves behind his wife, Frances Beekley Haviland, his four children Sandy Haviland (spouse Kate Haviland), Lindsey Haviland, Dave Haviland and Sue Haviland (spouse John Schneble) as well as seven grandchildren: Charlie and Grace Haviland, Eli and Emmett Peirce, and Jack, Robby, and Jane Haviland. A memorial service will be held at First Church of Christ in Simsbury, CT on Saturday, February 1 at 10:30 a.m.