Arnold Chadderdon

1932 - 2020

Chadderdon, Arnold
Arnold (Chad) H. Chadderdon, 87, of New Haven CT died peacefully January 14, 2020 at The Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT after an extended illness. He was born October 5, 1932 in Acra, New York, the son of the late Wilson and Emily (Dorpfeld) Chadderdon. After graduating from Cairo, NY High School, he earned an AB degree from Colgate University and a PhD from Yale University. Between 1964 and 1995 he was an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, then an Associate Professor of English and English Department Chair at Whittier College, and finally Professor of English and Humanities Chair at Teikyo Post University until he retired.
After moving back to New Haven, Chad became involved in a variety of cultural organizations. He was a docent at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill. At The Yale Center for British Art from 2012 to 2018, his title was Information Volunteer, but he was also known there as "Cheesecake Chad" and "Big Bad Chad". He volunteered mostly on Saturdays, but also regularly on Yale Commencement Day, the only Monday the Center opens to the public during the year. He was cherished there by all who knew him and who have fond memories of interactions with Chad.
He was also a longtime active member of the Yale Humanist Society. For more than a decade he was a dedicated member of the Board of Trustees of the New Haven Preservation Trust, serving as Secretary of the Board for two terms and as a knowledgeable member of the Program Committee, helping to plan and produce many community lectures and tours. He supported a wide variety of cultural activities, frequently attending The Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, symphony concerts at Woolsey Hall and chamber music at Sprague Hall in New Haven, and regularly returning summers to the Boston Symphony and chamber music at Tanglewood as well as Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires. His devotion to art showed in the tasteful way he decorated every apartment he lived in with furniture and original paintings, drawings, and sculptures. And always there were books that he loved to read, as long as they were well written.
He enjoyed spending time and energy for part of many summers at a family cabin on a wooded hillside in Acra. Above all Chad was a gentleman; most important to him were the lasting relationships he developed with friends and family who shared his interests and enjoyed evenings with a good martini, gourmet food and lively conversation. In the fall his interest always turned to his favorite football team, the New England Patriots.
Chad was predeceased by a brother Wilson H. Chadderdon. He is survived by niece Amy and her husband William Spittler of Norwich, NY and Jupiter, FL, niece Susan Chadderdon of Jupiter, FL and nephew David Chadderdon of Waverly, PA. A private memorial service is planned in the spring. In lieu of flowers donations may be made directly to the New Haven Preservation Trust, PO Box 8968, New Haven, CT 06532, or to Acra Village Cemetery Inc., c/o George Patrick, 1032 Rte. 31, Purling, NY 12470.