Stanley Armand Bogan

Stanley Armand Bogan
Norwalk Resident
Stanley Armand Bogan, 89, of Norwalk, CT, died peacefully on December 23, 2012 - five days after suffering a serious stroke while shopping for Christmas presents for his family. He was accompanied by his sons and loved ones at the time of his death.
Born on October 23, 1923, in Brooklyn, NY, he was a decorated soldier in World War II, he earned the Purple Heart medal of distinction and survived the sinking of the SS Leopoldville, a transport ship sunk by torpedo on Christmas eve in 1944 five miles off the coast of France. A member of the so-called “Greatest Generation,” he fought as a member of the U.S Army during operations in Europe. While he infrequently spoke of his more harrowing war experiences, he liked to joke that in the course of 50 years of work, “the best job I ever had” was when he helped manage the French Riviera hotels while stationed in the Hotel Negresco in Nice as part of Allied operations during W.W.II.
He returned home after the war to pursue a career in advertising on Madison Avenue during the boom years of the 50s and 60s. The first born child of two MDs - Dr. Robert Bogan and Dr. Frances Jescowitz Bogan, he graduated from Brooklyn Boys High School in 1939, from Amherst College with honors in 1943 and he briefly attended Harvard Law School before entering the U.S. Army during W.W.II. He survived his beloved sister, Marilyn, by many years.
On June 19, 1948, he married Dorothy Jane Martin, whom he met at Esquire Magazine. They moved to Smoke Rise, N.J. and there raised three sons. Though his marriage to Dorothy ended in 1961, they remained connected for 50 years as devoted parents. Later in the 1960s, he married Alicia Gepner and they became proud parents of a son.
Throughout his 89 years, sports were his passion and pursuit. He was a swimmer throughout high school and college. He later competed for the New York Athletic Club and was a member there for thirty years. He loved golf and skiing and pursued both into his 80s. Later he was content to watch his grandchildren compete; the golf channel often seemed his TV's only network.
His business career followed two paths. For three decades after military service, he worked as an Advertising account executive - having been inspired by an Amherst Political Science professor who identified communication as a powerful tool of politics and commerce. He began at CBS radio ad sales, moved to BBDO as a VP, then on to Ted Bates as a SVP, and finally Norman Craig & Kummel as a SVP. He eventually left and co-founded Spitzer / Bogan Inc. Lastly, he moved to the client side at Morton Frozen Foods, a division of ITT as a senior VP. After becoming disenchanted with the advertising industry, he retired and spent the next 20 years running Bogan Enterprises, Inc., the purveyor of hair salons in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Despite his military decorations and business successes, he was for the greatest part of his life, a proud father of four sons and he played an important role in his six grandchildren's lives. Throughout family triumphs and tribulations, he remained steadfast and loyal to his children and grandchildren. Loyalty, family reputation and self-reliance are among his most enduring legacies.
He is survived by his loving family: Robert Bogan and daughter, Alexandria Bogan, of Tampa, FL, Christopher Bogan, Mary Jo Barnett and their children Evan, Will, and Anya Bogan, and granddaughter, Faith Clarkson, of Chapel Hill, NC; Scott and Lisa Bogan and their son, Doug Bogan, of Wilton, CT; and Mark and Rose Bogan and their son, Pierce Bogan, of Davies, FL.