John Taylor Silliman

John Taylor Silliman, 78, of Windsor, beloved husband of Deborah (Wylie) Silliman, passed away Friday, May 9, 2025, at his home surrounded by his family. He was born in Hartford to the late Frederick H. and Marjorie (Bartlett) Silliman. A lifelong Windsor resident, John graduated from Windsor High School in the class of 1964 and received his B.S. in Meteorology from New York University in 1968. John worked as an IT Director for the Aetna Insurance Company for 36 years before beginning his retirement life, traveling the world with his wife, gardening, and spending time with his loving family. John's lifelong contributions to the Windsor community were numerous. He was a member of the Poquonock Fire Company from 1962-1995, and served as Fire Chief for 15 years. His time with the company included overseeing the emergency response and recovery from the 1979 tornado in the Poquonock section of Windsor. John also served on the board of the Second School Society, which manages the Elm Grove Cemetery. John's commitment of 42 years to this society included a role as secretary, as well as the pristine care of the cemetery grounds and chapel of the Elm Grove property. John was known to serve donuts and beverages to parade goers every Memorial Day from the chapel. At Northwest Park, John volunteered his time with maple sugaring, the annual pancake breakfast, and running cross country ski rentals from the warming shed. John also frequented musical programs at Northwest Park. John was happiest outdoors, and his leisure activities included gardening, mowing, and yard work. He enjoyed cross-country skiing and family camping trips in New Hampshire. John traveled the world with his beloved wife Debby, which included trips to five continents, from Machu Pichu to an African safari to riding a camel in Egypt to hugging a koala in Australia. His greatest love, however, belonged to his family and the home he built for them in Windsor. John's impact on his family was significant. Besides his wife Debby of 56 years, he leaves two sons, John T. Silliman, Jr. and his wife Suzanne of Windsor Locks, and Thomas D. Silliman and his wife Kelly of Leeds, MA; his daughter Kate Krauland and her husband Dietrich of East Hartland; grandchildren John T. Sillman III and his husband Abraham, Grace Silliman, Rosalie Kapitulik and her husband Nicholas, Arissa, Phoebe, and Wylie Silliman, and Nikolas, Alexander, and Ethan Krauland; great-grandson Bennett Wylie Kapitulik; his brothers James B. Silliman of Paul Smiths, NY; Jeffrey W. Silliman and his wife Dianne, and Robert Silliman, all of Windsor; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. John's family will receive friends and family Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 5:00-8:00pm at the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave, Windsor. A graveside service will be held Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 11:00am at Elm Grove Cemetery, Poquonock Ave, Windsor, with a reception to follow at noon at St. Casimir's, 28 West St in Poquonock. Contributions in John's memory may be made to Mary's Place, A Center for Grieving Children and Families, 6 Poquonock Ave, Windsor, CT, 06095. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John, please visit our floral store.