William James Sweetman

William J Sweetman of Naples, FL and Litchfield, CT passed away on October 16, 2024. Bill is survived by his wife of 19 years, Susan, two daughters, Jamie (Scott) Gray and Sarah (Michael) Carr, two step daughters, Laura Ladd and Julie (Andy) Materna and a step-son Jeffrey (Erin) Ladd and 13 grandchildren. Bill graduated from Litchfield High School in 1964 and then attended The University of Notre Dame where he graduated in 1968. He was accepted at the Columbia Graduate School of Business, but when graduate school deferments were abolished during the Vietnam War he joined the Navy and served as a LTJG aboard the USS Barney (DDG-6) in the Mediterranean Sea. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1972, he returned to Connecticut to run Dwan and Company, Inc. the Anheuser-Busch wholesaler-ship founded by his grandfather in 1928. He served as President and owner for many years, eventually selling the business in 2012 and retiring to Naples, FL. He served on the Board of the Center for Social Concerns at Notre Dame and established the William J Sweetman Endowment for Excellence at the Center. Over the years the center has sent hundreds of students from Notre Dame around the world for volunteer work. He served on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Junior Republic and donated The Sweetman Auditorium on the campus. He served on the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Litchfield, Patterson Oil, and the Torrington Water Company. He was an avid golfer and won the Litchfield Country Club Member-Guest tournament three times. He also was one of the ten runners who ran in the Litchfield Hills Road Race for 35 consecutive years. Bill and Susan loved to travel. They played golf at Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, and many courses in Palm Springs, CA. They also traveled to Rome, Athens, Paris, Normandy, London, Hawaii, Bermuda, Cuba, The Turks and Caicos and Napa Valley. They traveled with the whole family many times to Disney World. He loved to get together with his family on Cape Cod in the summer and Florida in the winter. There he enjoyed telling his stories, many of which he embellished in the true Notre Dame fashion. A memorial will be planned in the Spring of 2025 in Litchfield, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Love for Laney Foundation.