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Richard Backstrom Obituary
Born in Meriden July 4, 1937, he was the son of the late Julius (Red) Backstrom and Doris Swanson Back-strom. He was a resident of Wallingford since 1957. Following his graduation from Meriden High School in 1955, he continued his education at the University of Hartford and the Connecticut College of Engineering. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard and graduated first in his class.
He began his career as a civil engineer with the state of Connecticut, then joined John Clarkson Engineers of Albany, N.Y., and was instrumental in the construction of the I-84/Rt. 8 interchange in Waterbury. He then joined Dunhill of Hartford four years later and be-came its president and CEO. He went on to become the president and CEO of Reliance National Inc. for 20 years until his retirement in 1990.
He leaves behind his sister Karen, and brother in law, Jon Peterson, of Oakton, Va. Surviving are his four sons, Eric, Dean, Mark and Scot; and four grandchildren.
At his request he will be cremated and a private, informal gathering for family and friends will be held. This will take place at the home of Scot and Amy Backstrom, 30 Sunrise Circle, Wallingford, on Sunday, Jan. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Richard Backstrom
ckb
February 2, 2010
Scot,
very sorry to hear about your father, I have fond memories of him as we grew up, my thoughts and prayers are with you, your family, and your loved ones.
Kim & Ken Koscinski
January 18, 2010
Scot & Amy
We are sorry to hear of your loss. May your memories of him bring you comfort.
Jim and Karen Cook
January 16, 2010
May the love of friends and family carry you through your grief.
January 16, 2010
Karen and Jon, I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your brother. May God be with you at this time of need. Carolyn Connelly Ferraiolo
January 16, 2010
Karen and Jon, My sincere condolences on the loss of your brother.
Sandy DelGreggo Schwink
January 15, 2010
We are so sorry for your loss and hope you may find some peace with his passing.
Beth Cook & Seth DePasqual
Charles Nellis
January 15, 2010
May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.
January 14, 2010
I was a classmate of Dick,s in Meriden High School. I remember him as a very nice person and was pleased to see his many accomplishments. I graduated from UCONN, went into the Army and then lived most of my time since just outside of Washington, D.C. in Silver Spring, MD. This distance left me out of touch with most of my high school classmates, a fact I rue periodically. I always enjoy our class reunions as they permit revisiting with old friends acquaintances.
My sympathy goes to you over your loss.
Sincerly,
Bob Delemarre
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