Ernest Carl Wignall

1927 - 2020

Hartford - Ernest Carl Wignall of 1 Gold Street, Hartford, and Norwich, husband of the late Laura B. (Seager) Wignall, died peacefully Oct. 20, 2020, at Hartford Hospital. He was born in Lisbon, Jan. 22, 1927, the son of the late Thomas J. and Anna M. (Meyer) Wignall. He was predeceased by his loving wife of 43 years, Laura B. (Seager) Wignall.

He attended Norwich elementary schools, and was a graduate of the Norwich Free Academy. Following his graduation, he was a welder at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, until he enlisted in the United States Navy. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II aboard the USS Corregidor (CVE-58). For a short time following his honorable discharge from the U. S. Navy, he was employed in the industrial electric construction field in eastern Connecticut.

He attended Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Mass., where he graduated with a major in architectural construction. He was then employed as a field engineer on multi-unit residential and industrial construction projects in southeastern Connecticut. He later joined the Factory Mutual Engineering Division in Boston, Mass. as a plant surveyor, where his assignments took him throughout the country. He began his banking career when he joined the Norwich Savings Society in Norwich as a field representative, where he was the new business developer and a real estate appraiser. While at the Norwich Savings Society, he continued his education, attending and graduating from the Graduate School of Savings Banking at Brown University. Shortly thereafter, he was offered a challenging position of commercial mortgage lending officer at the Binghamton Savings Bank in Binghamton, N.Y. In that position, he represented the bank in Upstate New York, New York metropolitan area and Greater Philadelphia areas. While in Binghamton, he was a member of the Binghamton City Planning and Zoning Commission and was its chairman for several years. He also served as a member of the New York-Pennsylvania Health Planning Council as a director of the Broome County Urban League.

He returned to Connecticut to accept a position of vice president at Mechanics Savings Bank as its executive vice president and treasurer, until his retirement in 1992. While at Mechanics Savings Bank, he was president and a director of the bank's several real estate and land development subsidiaries. In the 1980s, the bank, in a partnership, built a new home office building at 100 Pearl Street, in Hartford. This was one of his major responsibilities. During his 41-year banking career, he was involved in numerous State and national Savings Bank Association committees, as director of the Mutual Investment Fund of Connecticut and director and president of the Hartford Mutual Investment Fund. He served for a number of years as director of the Home Builders Association of Hartford County, then as one of the life-directors. As a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, he represented the industry in two People to People Citizen Ambassador Missions to both Western and Eastern Europe. He was a member of the Hartford Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, and several years was its chairman, several terms as trustee of the Hartford Boys and Girls Club and a director of the Bushnell Foundation. He was a member of the Board of Corporators of Hartford Hospital, the Institute of Living and the Hartford Public Library. He was a member of the Old Guard of West Hartford, Somerset-Saint James Lodge #34, AF&AM and the Hartford Canoe Club. He was an active member of Emanuel Lutheran Church, where he served on various committees and as director of Capital Towers.

He is predeceased by his brother Frederick; and sister Anna (Wignall) Arnold. He is survived by a brother-in-law, Dale Arnold of Mystic; a niece, Ellen Wignall of Norwich; and nephews, Thomas Wignall and wife Randy of Gainesville, Fla., Eric Wignall and wife Donna and James Wignall and wife Colleen of the Norwich area.

A Memorial Service will be held in the spring or summer of 2021, at Emanuel Lutheran Church, 311 Capital Avenue, Hartford. Burial will be private, and at the convenience of the family. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Ernest C. & Laura S. Scholarship Fund at Emanuel Lutheran Church, 311 Capital Ave., Hartford CT 06106 or to a charity of the donor's choice. Taylor and Modeen Funeral Home of West Hartford, has care of the arrangements. For online condolences, please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com.