Henry H. "Robin" Honiss

4/21/1937 - 3/28/2024

Vero Beach, Fla. - Henry H. "Robin" Honiss, 86, of Vero Beach, Fa., and Stonington, slipped his mooring March 28, 2024, and headed out on an endless cruise to unknown waters after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Robin was born in 1937, the son of the late William T. Honiss and Dorothy Roberts Honiss of West Hartford, and Boca Raton, Fla.

He was a graduate of Kingswood Oxford and Northfield Mt. Hermon, and earned a B.A. degree from Boston University in 1959, and an M.B.A. from Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1961. He served 32 years in the banking industry, mostly in the investment management field, and served as chairman and chief executive officer of New England Savings Bank from 1989 to 1992, before leaving banking to found Mystic Asset Management, an investment advisory firm. He sold Mystic Asset Management in 2002, but continued until his death to advise the firm and many of its clients.

Robin always believed it was important to give back to the community and he was active in civic affairs over the course of his life. He was elected to the Lyme-Old Lyme school board where he served as treasurer. He was past chairman of the board of the Southeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, a past director of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony and Lyman Allyn Art Museum, and also a former member of the New London Rotary Club and Southeastern Connecticut chapter of Navy League. Before moving to Southeastern Connecticut, Robin was also active in community theater in Litchfield County, where he played several leading roles in community theater productions and served as president of the Torrington Civic Theater. Robin also maintained a lifelong interest in creative writing and self-published his memoir, RiverNotes, in 2007, and Summer Seas and Autumn Leaves, a collection of his poems, in 2022. Robin's career and community involvement, however, never upstaged his passion for sailing and the art, poetry and prose of the sea. His happiest moments were skippering a series of boats in New England, Florida, and Caribbean waters that he owned and chartered throughout his entire life. It made Robin very happy that all of his children learned to love sailing as well, and they now wish their Dad fair winds and following seas. Robin was a member of the Moorings Yacht & Country Club in Vero Beach, Fla., where he held flag officer positions as treasurer and rear commodore. He was also a member of the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club and the Wadawanuck Club in Stonington where he served twice as a governor. He was licensed by the Coast Guard as a captain of up to 50-ton vessels, both sail and power.

Robin was married to Judith LaBoue Honiss for almost 45 years, and along with her, is survived by three daughters, Holly Martin of Virginia Beach, Va., Wendy Bourget (John Bourget) of Niantic, and Heather Honiss (James Salsich) of Gloucester, Mass. He also leaves five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His son James L. Honiss predeceased him in 1997; and his sister Dorothy "Ducky" Kelso in 2021.

The family would like to thank Indian River VNA Home and Hospice for their kind and attentive care. In lieu of flowers or contributions, Robin requested you savor a sunset over water to celebrate a life well lived. Services will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Millennium Cremation Service, Vero Beach. Condolences may be shared online at www.millenniumcremationservice.com.

"Darkening twilight sea

Please wash all cares from me

That I may brave

A new dawn's onrushing wave."