Grand Marshal Announced For Darien's Memorial Day Parade

DARIEN, CT — The Darien Monuments and Ceremonies Commission announced on Tuesday that Vietnam veteran and current Board of Finance member John Wolcott will be the grand marshal in this year's Memorial Day parade.

Wolcott will ride at the head of the parade which will begin at 10 a.m. on May 30 from Goodwives Shopping Center. The parade will go up the Post Road to Spring Grove Veterans Cemetery, where a ceremony honoring those who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces will take place at 11:15 a.m.

Born in Berkeley, Calif. in 1943, Wolcott lived in northern California, Peru,and Trinidad before attending the University of CaliforniaDavis, then Berkeley, where he earned bachelor’s and advanced degrees.

In 1967, Wolcott entered the army and achieved the rank of captain. He served one year at Fort Carson in Colorado before going to Veitnam, where he stayed for a year and a day at Pleiku in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Wolcott was awarded with a Bronze Star for his service.

Wolcott's career as a CPA began with Price Waterhouse in the Bay Area for six years. He and his wife, Jane, moved to Darien when he was asked to temporarily relocate to the New York office.

When asked to resume his career in San Francisco, Wolcott and Jane declined, choosing to remain in Darien, believing this was the perfect place to raise their two daughters, Dana and Kristine.

Wolcott joined a New York City boutique investment firm as SVP/CFO for a decade, before devoting the remainder of his career to private wealth management.

Locally, John has served as treasurer and on the boards of both the Middlesex Club and Country Club of Darien, and is a former president of the Darien Men's Association.

Wolcott was recently elected to the Town Board of Finance.

Any organization looking for information regarding the Darien Memorial Day parade should email the parade committee at: 06820mayparade@gmail.com