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Hobart Van Deusen Obituary
July 30, 1967 - March 4, 2024
Hobart Ryerson Van Deusen, 56, of Fairfield, CT, known to family, friends, and colleagues as "Rye", passed away on March 4, 2024. Rye was born July 30, 1967, in Montclair, New Jersey. He was the beloved son of Hobart D. Van Deusen of Lakeville, CT, Mary H. Van Deusen of Westport, CT, and stepmother, Nancy Van Deusen of Lakeville, CT.
Rye grew up in Westport and graduated from Staples High School in 1985. He studied business and geology at Skidmore College, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1989.
Rye began his professional career at Galson Laboratories and then continued at Colden Corporation, working as a certified industrial hygienist and project manager. That work took him to sites across the country and overseas, confirming his love of travel and exploring new places. In 2008, he joined Con Edison in New York City, where he was a Senior Auditor. He made many life-long friends along the way, especially his Galson circle.
Rye was intelligent, kind, curious, and funny (some would say "Rye-larious"). He loved his family, his friends, animals, movies, history, and exercising his knowledge of trivia at any opportunity. He had an adventurous streak – he sought out the tallest, fastest roller coasters to ride and celebrated his 30th birthday by skydiving with his friend, Matt. One of his greatest joys in recent years was paddling his kayak on the ponds, lakes, and rivers of Connecticut with his sister, Heather, and her partner, Michael, observing the wildlife and enjoying the tranquility of the natural world. On the flip side, Rye liked to rock! and attended many concerts of his favorite bands with his sister, Holly, and his brother-in-law, Jim.
In addition to his parents, Rye leaves to cherish his memory, his sister, Heather Van Deusen, and her partner, Michael Bronfenbrenner, West Suffield, CT; his sister, Holly Van Deusen and her husband, Jim Siegel, West Hartford, CT; his uncle, Schuyler Huntoon, Fairfield, CT; his childhood friends, Peter Rotolo, John Stofan, and Matthew Richards, and their families, including his two god-sons; many other friends and co-workers; and of course his beloved cat, Louie.
We loved Rye dearly. We will miss the sound of his voice, his laugh, his chatter, his amazing organizational skills, his hugs, and most of all, the sweetness at the core of his being.
A memorial service for Rye will take place on Saturday, March 16th, 2024, at 11a.m. at Christ and Holy Trinity Church (Branson Hall), 75 Church Lane, in Westport, CT. Funeral arrangements are by Harding Funeral Home in Westport. At a later date, there will be a small ceremony for family and close friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to PAWS in Norwalk, CT ( pawsct.org ), or the American Red Cross.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
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Sponsored by Harding Funeral Home.
5 Entries
John Stofan
March 12, 2024
Rye, my friend, where did you go? Are you out looking for new rocks? How old is this one and what did you find? I bet you can´t wait to show me on our next hike together. I´ll miss that.
Where did you go? I thought I would find you bobbing in the waves, paddle in hand, grinning ear to ear with all the fish swimming about. But I can´t see you now. Maybe you´ve gone over the horizon, deep in the warm turquoise, where the water meets the sky and the Caribbean sun goes to sleep.
I found another Conch shell, washed up in the clear shallow water and crystal white sands that I dream about every so often. But don´t worry, I saved it and will show it to you next time. Or perhaps you already know because you put it there, in my dreams, for me to find. The polished Conch shells were the best, and the biggest.
The next time that I walk along that shoreline, real or imagined, I will know you're there. I will see your footprints, next to mine, pressed momentarily in the wet sand. But I also now know that when I look again, they will be gone as quickly as the next washing waves.
This is not goodbye, it's I´ll see you later. Perhaps on another of those great islands - warm sun, warm turquoise water, gentle breeze, and the smell of coconut and Conch fritters coming down the beach. Rest easy now, we´ll take it from here. I wish you could have stayed just a little bit longer...
John Stofan
March 12, 2024
Rye, my friend, where did you go? Are you out looking for new rocks? How old is this one and what did you find? I bet you can´t wait to show me on our next hike together. I´ll miss that.
Where did you go? I thought I would find you bobbing in the waves, paddle in hand, grinning ear to ear with all the fish swimming about. But I can´t see you now. Maybe you´ve gone over the horizon, deep in the warm turquoise, where the water meets the sky and the Caribbean sun goes to sleep.
I found another Conch shell, washed up in the clear shallow water and crystal white sands that I dream about every so often. But don´t worry, I saved it and will show it to you next time. Or perhaps you already know because you put it there, in my dreams, for me to find. The polished Conch shells were the best, and the biggest.
The next time that I walk along that shoreline, real or imagined, I will know you're there. I will see your footprints, next to mine, pressed momentarily in the wet sand. But I also now know that when I look again, they will be gone as quickly as the next washing waves.
This is not goodbye, it's I´ll see you later. Perhaps on another of those great islands - warm sun, warm turquoise water, gentle breeze, and the smell of coconut and Conch fritters coming down the beach. Rest easy now, we´ll take it from here. I wish you could have stayed just a little bit longer...
Latoya Bailey
March 10, 2024
You could not help but smile when in the company of Rye. His smile and easygoing attitude were contagious. He was the sweetest most positive person. He always had a great tip to share. I cannot begin to explain how much I will miss him and the positivity he shared.
Andrew Hale
March 9, 2024
One could not imagine a nicer man than Rye. Seeing him always put a smile on one's face. He knew a great many things and was always more than willing to share that knowledge with others. His quirky sense of humor and great heart will be sorely missed by his co-workers at Con Edison.
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