Robert W. Ebling IV

ROBERT W. EBLING, IV 22, was tragically killed in an automobile accident on Rupert Mountain Road near Manchester, Vermont at 6:30 AM on Friday, July 22 driving to his nearby summer construction job. He lost control of his 1995 BMW 325is, struck a tree broadside and died instantly. A junior at Castleton State College, and a Vermont resident, he lived at 1859 Herrick Brook Road in Pawlet, Vermont. Ebling was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Ebling, III, of Ridgefield, CT and Pawlet, VT.

Born in Boston, he was raised in Sherborn, MA, Bedford Hills, NY, Arlington, VT, and Ridgefield, CT. A student at public schools in these communities, he later attended St. Luke's School in New Canaan, CT, Trinity-Pawling School, and The Hyde School in Woodstock, CT, where he developed an avid interest in wrestling and lacrosse. As a junior, he became the starting goalie for Hyde's varsity lacrosse team, and subsequently was Castleton's varsity goalie as a freshman.

He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and hunting. He loved Ireland, and sharing stories of a canoe trip with his father from Mt. Katahdin and the Allagash River in Maine to the Canadian border when they were alone and isolated for six days.

Following the accident, Ebling's childhood friends shared memories of a boy who was fiercely independent, kind, and gentle, who was more at ease striking his own path, whether driving a boat on Candlewood Lake (where he earned his boating license at the earliest possible age) to riding ATV's in the Vermont woods.

An Information Technology major in Castleton, he was from his early youth gifted with computers. He had authored code, and built many wired and wireless networks.

He also loved music, and played the guitar, an interest that was passed to his by his uncle, R. Hilliard Ebling, an accomplished lead guitarist.

Robert was generally a man of few words, who nonetheless charmed people with his congeniality and genuine love of people. A warm and hardworking person, he also loved English Springer Spaniels which he enjoyed breeding with his mother. A memory loved by his family and friends was when his underdog Little League Baseball Team, which had started the season with a 1-8 record, jelled in time to go on to win the Ridgefield Town Championships.

He had aspirations to head a business which designed, built and installed high tech sound systems in homes and cars.

In addition to his parents he is survived by Mr. & Mrs. George T. Ilse, grandparents from Greenwich, CT, and uncles and aunts: Mr. & Mrs. R. Hilliard Ebling, of Wenham, MA, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Ilse of Stamford, CT, Mr. Gordon Ilse of Killington, VT, Ms. Sandra Jane Ebling of Boulder, CO., Ms. Leslie Benway of Port Chester, NY, Ms. Christine Mercer of Bedford, NY, Ms. Cheryl Mercer of Sag Harbor, NY, and Ms. Dede Swift of Asheville, NC.

Services will be held on Tuesday, July 26, 2005, 5:00 PM, at the First Congregational Church in Ridgefield, CT. Memorials may be sent to The Salvation Army.

The Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgfield, is in charge of arrangements.