Robert E. Terry

Robert E. Terry
Robert (Bob) Edward Terry, only son of the late Edward N. Terry and Alma L. Schippert, passed peacefully in his sleep on March 20th, 2026, at the Masonic Health Center, at the age of 95, following a lengthy illness. Bob was born on September 3rd, 1930, in New Haven, Connecticut. He attended elementary school in North Haven and was a graduate of Lyman Hall in Wallingford in 1948. Bob was a longtime resident of North Haven, CT, where he and his father grew and sold strawberries, string beans, chickens, and eggs at their farm at 18 North Hill Road. After graduation, Bob worked diligently for the United States Postal Service through his retirement in 1995. In May of 1958, he married Marilyn Elizabeth Sherman. In 1959, he and Marilyn welcomed their first child, Gail Elizabeth (Kurt) Zwick who resides in Northford. In 1962, they welcomed their second daughter, Diana Lynn (William) Sellers, who also resides in Northford. Bob and Marilyn's home at 18 North Hill Road was the meeting place for many family get-togethers: birthdays, holidays, social visits, and cookouts by the pool with friends and family. After retirement, Bob and Marilyn enjoyed traveling. Their travels to took them to Canada, England and Scotland, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands (for their 50th wedding anniversary), Mexico, Florida, Maine, Vermont, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Cape Cod, Newport, RI and, what was certainly Bob's favorite, Newfound Lake in New Hampshire. He and his loved ones visited "the Lake" many times, which he'd discovered after working nearby in the '50s. "Umpa," as Bob was named by his grandchildren, was well known to his family as a geography whiz and as an avid reader. His favorites were decidedly National Geographic, the Smithsonian, Yankee and Travel Magazines. Bob also enjoyed history and loved to engage in debates.
Always happiest when surrounded by his family, Bob would often whistle, hum, break into a poem, or song (the Chiquita Banana theme, Yale's "Fight Song", and 76 Trombones were always at the ready). Every trip or shared meal would end with the statement "it doesn't get any better than this." Bob is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marilyn; his daughters and his grandchildren, Rachel Zwick (Molly) of Branford, Erica Sellers of Northford, and Robert (Mia) Sellers of Anchorage, Alaska; as well as several nieces and nephews, and life-long friends.
Private funeral services have been entrusted to The Havens Family North Haven Funeral Home, at 36 Washington Avenue. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org , or the Shriner's Children's Hospital, donate.shrinerschildrens.org . www.northhavenfuneral.com