Richard Duffy

1943 - 2023

Richard Duffy
July 27, 1943 - April 27, 2023
Richard Michael Duffy passed away peacefully on April 27th in his home in Southport, North Carolina. He was 79 years old.
Richard, known by all as Rich, was born in Westchester County on July 27th, 1943 to Joseph and Maryan Duffy who resided in Katonah, NY.
Rich went to John Jay High School and was recognized for his athletic talents in basketball and baseball earning him the attention of college recruiting scouts in both sports. In his Junior summer the New York Yankees invited him to become part of the "Yankee Rookies". He was also being recruited by colleges for basketball and in the end chose Syracuse University where he played for the Orangemen as a point guard from 1962-1965.
In 1964 on campus he had a chance meeting with Karen Barker, "a cute little redhead" as he told it. They were a couple from that moment on until they married in the Fall of 1965 on Martha's Vineyard at Karen's home in Chilmark, MA.
Rich's first job out of college took the couple to Minnesota where he was a sales representative for the Simmons Mattress Company. His next job selling radio ad space for The Robert Eastman Radio Company took the couple to Michigan.
They headed back to the Northeast in 1970 when Rich joined Sperry & Hutchinson as a Regional VP. In that role the couple traveled extensively across the globe. They settled briefly in Rye Brook, NY before moving to Darien, CT in 1976 where they lived for 30+ years. They welcomed two daughters, Kristen and Tarah, between 1966 and 1971.
In 1974 Rich was employed at Michael John Associates, a marketing company based in NYC. He eventually purchased the company and changed its name to The Marketing Partnership. TMPI , as it was called, became a successful boutique marketing and consulting firm specializing in creating and implementing marketing programs for consumer products companies. Under Rich's leadership the firm grew an impressive client list including but not limited to Pepsico, General Foods, James River Paper, Nestle and Mastercard. A true entrepreneur, Rich was gifted at building and maintaining relationships.
After closing the doors at The Marketing Partnership in 2002 Rich bought the historic upstate New York chocolate factory, the birthplace of the Nestle Crunch bar. Working alongside his son-in-law the defunct facility was renamed The Fulton Chocolate Company and was later sold to an Ivory Coast cocoa and coffee marketing cooperative.
Rich continued to do freelance consulting for many years.
Throughout their marriage Rich and Karen spent summers on Martha's Vineyard and winter months in Vero Beach with less time in Darien until they sold their home on Middlesex Road in 2002. Both places were and continue to be very special to their children and grandchildren.
Rich spent most of his leisure time on the golf course and was lucky to have played with many of the top golfers on premiere courses both in the States and abroad. He was a longtime member at Stanwich, Wee Burn, John's Island, Red Stick and the Vineyard Golf Club. He was also a member of the U.S. Seniors' Golf Association.
In addition to golf he was a member at theThe Weston Gun Club, the Red Coats, Preservation of the U.S. Constitution and helped start the First Tee program in CT.
Rich is survived by his wife of 57 years, Karen, his two daughters, Kristen Harrow (Thom, deceased) and Tarah Hirschey (Mark), his older brother Bob (Susan) and his six grandchildren (PJ, Kendall, Eliza, Spencer, Samantha and Alexander). He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Donald.