W. Mott Hupfel Jr.

Waterford - W. Mott Hupfel Jr., died Tuesday, March 6, 2012, in his home at 231 Great Neck Road, Waterford, with his loving wife of twenty five years, Astrea "Stree" Hupfel, at his bedside.

His death followed a seven-year, determined struggle with his breathing. He was helped by the large extended, adoring family he loved and cared for, and by many friends of Bill W. He was born Oct. 24, 1934, in Fishkill, N.Y., son of Walter Mott Hupfel Sr. of Fishkill, N.Y. and Frances (Cummins) Hupfel of Des Moines, Iowa. In his early youth, Mott attended schools in seven states, and then studied at the Choate School in Wallingford, from which he eventually was granted a diploma. He graduated from Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H. in 1956. After Dartmouth, he served two years in the peacetime army in Germany.

Mott spent his career in Wilmington, Del. where he co -founded an investment counseling firm, Wilmington Capital Management, which was eventually sold to The Wilmington Trust Company. Mott then became a vice president, director of equity research, and portfolio manager at The Wilmington Trust Company. As he often pointed out, he was not an investment banker. He married Alice Beasley of Wilmington, Del. in 1961 and had three children. They were divorced. In 1986, he married Astrea Sieglaff, of Waterford, and moved shortly thereafter to Waterford, where he quickly became a valued member of the community.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Allison Porter and her husband, Kevin Porter, of Vashon Island, Wash.; his son, Walter Mott Hupfel III and his wife, Sara Goodman, of New York City; his stepdaughter, Kristin Harkness and her partner, Dawn Harkness, of Framingham, Mass.; his stepdaughter, Jennifer Ligeti and her husband, George Ligeti, of Boca Raton, Fla.; and his stepson, Ralph A. Powers III and his wife, Ivana Powers, of Millbrook, N.Y. He is also survived by his ten grandchildren, Kate Harkness, Will Porter, Samantha Ligeti, Alexander Ligeti, Sam Porter, Isabelle Porter, Georgia Hupfel, Lily Hupfel, Fenway Parker Powers, and Lilla Powers.

He was predeceased by his daughter, Gretchen Hupfel.

Mott was an avid fly fisherman who tied his own flies, and Stree an avid golfer when they met. She went to fly-fishing school and Mott took golf lessons and they were married. He was a prolific reader of politics, history, and literature. He was an excellent and entertaining writer and a stickler for proper grammar. Fourteen years ago he started the beloved annual Carol Service at New London's Pequot Chapel where he served as assistant treasurer.

Mott will be remembered for his dry wit, his affirming, unconditional love, his fondness for scrapple and other questionable meats, but mostly for his deep love of the home he made with his wife Astrea and the view of the sound they shared everyday. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

A service will be held in the spring at Pequot Chapel in New London. There are no calling hours.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pequot Chapel: c/o Mrs. Reid Burdick, 36 Jerome Road, New London, CT 06320 www.pequotchapel.org, or to The Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut, 403 North Frontage Road, Waterford, CT 06385 www.vnasc.org.

Visit www.Byles.com for information and to sign the family guestbook.