William Fletcher Ludington

WILLIAM FLETCHER LUDINGTON

William Fletcher Ludington, resident of Vero Beach, Florida and Edgartown, Massachusetts passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 27, 2006. He was 71 years old.

Mr. Ludington, a retired business executive, was born to Francis Henry Ludington and Mary Bedford Harris Ludington in New York on March 5, 1935. He graduated from the Loomis School, Windsor, CT in 1954 and Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT in 1958. He served in United States Army.

His business career began with the Simmons Company in New York, Chicago and Minneapolis prior to joining Chase Bag Company in 1961. Mr. Ludington was a member of the fourth among five generations in his family to work for this company that was established in 1847. He served in several capacities in St. Louis, New York and as President and Chief Executive Officer at the headquarters office in Greenwich, CT. Following the sale of Chase to Union Camp Corporation in 1990, Mr. Ludington continued with Union Camp until his retirement in 1994 and before the subsequent acquisition of Union Camp by the International Paper Company. He was a member of the National Flexible Packaging Association's Board of Directors.

Through his relationship with the International Executive Service Corp, Mr. Ludington established a Board of Directors for Interstate Resources, Inc. Ð a Christian Lebanese-owned U.S. paper and corrugated box manufacturing company with headquarters in Reston, Virginia. He served as Vice-Chairman.

Mr. Ludington was Co-Chairman of the Board of the Forum for World Affairs in Stamford, CT. He served as Board Member for the Southwestern CT Commerce and Industry Association, the Connecticut Society to Prevent Blindness, the Lighthouse for the Blind in St. Louis and the Community Church in Vero Beach, FL.

He was a member of the John's Island Club, Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT and the Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C.

He admired and was influenced by both his father, Francis H. Ludington, and his father-in-law, coach Ralph Winthrop Erickson. As a result, he was grounded in the characteristics of fair dealing, teamwork and leadership that were important to his life. He was President of Gamma Phi of Delta Kappa Epsilon, continued an active involvement throughout his life and cherished their values of brotherhood and friendship.

Mr. Ludington is survived by his loving wife Betty Ann Erickson Ludington, his daughters, Callaway Ludington Zuccarello (Michael Paul Zuccarello) of St. Louis, MO and Kristin Wishart Ludington Zammit (Gary Kenneth Zammit) of Stamford, CT, and his sons Hoyt Winthrop Ludington (Ana Belen Colmenero) of Boston, MA and William Fletcher Ludington, Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, FL. He is also survived by his six grandchildren, Casey Francis and Mary Barbara Zuccarello, Chase Erickson and Tyleigh Wishart Zammit, William John and Stacy Gale Ludington; his sister Mayde Ludington Henningsen (Victor W. Henningsen, Jr.) of Pelham Manor, N.Y. and Vero Beach, FL and brother Francis Henry Ludington (Gay Kruse Ludington) of Pelham Manor, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ralph Erickson Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, CT. A memorial service will be held at the Vero Beach Community Church at a date to be announced later.