Bernard Carroll Topper Jr.

Bernard C. Topper, Jr.
Bernard Carroll Topper Jr., a resident of Darien, CT for 50 years, died from Covid related ailments on April 7, 2022, with loving family by his side.
He was born on October 26, 1942, in York, PA to Bernard and Dorothy Topper. A kind and gracious man, Bernie was deeply devoted to his family. He cherished gatherings when everyone was together in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. He spent better parts of 78 consecutive summers in this beach community where Jersey crumb cake mornings and bodysurfing / boogie boarding the day away with family and friends was customary. Children and grandchildren will continue the tradition in his memory.
Bernie was a stockboy in High School for the family business – the York Cone Company. The York Peppermint Patty, for which they were best know, was invented in his grandparents' kitchen in 1940. He got the sensation! Bernie would go on to Notre Dame University, graduating cum laude in 1964 with a B.S in accounting. He proceeded to the University of Pennsylvania Law School, graduating in 1967 with a J.D., followed by an LLM from New York University in 1969.
Bernie began a distinguished legal career with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, ultimately making partner. He later became General Counsel for GTE Sprint Communications Corp., where his work advancing competitive markets is a matter of Congressional Record. Other than a year in California, he commuted into New York his entire career. Always passionate about his work, amazing colleagues, and clients, he retired from Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz only 3 months before his passing.
A Notre Dame, Mets and Rangers fan, his love of sports was passed down to his grandkids in the pool, on the court, field, mat and ice.
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Maureen, his daughter, Lauren Topper Spataro (Jim) of Darien, son Bernard III of Darien and son James (Stacee) of Hingham, MA; and five grandchildren, Halle, Gracie and Jamie Spataro, and Wes and Olivia Topper; two brothers, Steven Topper and John Topper of York, PA. He is preceded in death by his brother, Hank Topper of Santa Rosa, CA.
Contributions can be made to Darien Post 53, the Hingham Sports Partnership (HSP) or Clarke School for Hearing and Speech.