We lose 4 friends

This article is excerpted from the Groton/Mystic Times and the New London DAY internet edition.

Wednesday, January 30th, 2019

Published January 29. 2019 10:28AM

In the period between Dec. 26, 2018, and Jan. 11, 2019, just
16 days, we lost four people who were well known to most of us living
in the Mystic area and especially in Noank.
Phyllis Littlefield,
age 80, still active in our Noank Baptist Church choir, sang very well
with us without any sign of trouble on Christmas Eve. She celebrated
Christmas Day with her husband Peter, then went to sleep and quietly
passed away that night, to everyone’s surprise and dismay. She had been
an active volunteer in many local organizations, including the Chorus of
Westerly, Mystic Garden Club, Noank Historical Society and especially
the Mystic Seaport Museum. She and Peter had been married for 53 years.
When
Phyllis and Peter lived in Noank, and even after they moved to
Stoneridge in Mystic, they made a point of walking together, almost
daily, all around the Noank Village area at a fairly brisk pace. They
would come down Riverview Avenue to Main Street, pass near our house,
and then continue on to Front Street. If I was working in our front
yard, Peter and I would invariably trade wisecracks, which amused
Phyllis. Sometimes they’d stop to gossip, but only briefly, before
charging off to continue their brisk walk.
I’m going to miss that
routine very much. I still imagine the two of them coming down the
street when I’m out in the yard and I’ll miss singing with Phyllis in
choir.
Then came a “double whammy” in early January, with the
loss of Bill Borden, 89, on Jan. 3, followed by Joan Latham, 87, on
Jan. 4. This was a major loss for both families, who were very close,
most especially for Cynthia Borden, who lost both her husband and then
her sister the very next day.
Bill Borden came to this area after
growing up in Alabama, serving in the Air Force and then the Navy,
including the nuclear submarine Seawolf, which was based in Groton,
where he met Cynthia. They had been married for 60 years.
Bill
later retired from Electric Boat after 23 years, and continued his
favorite pastime with Cynthia and the Lathams by going to watch as many
sporting events as possible in which their children were participating.
Bill himself was a star athlete in his youth, especially as a running fullback.
Bill
was also an engaging storyteller with a great sense of humor, as
indicated by a short poem of his which was read at his recent memorial
service.
“Three old ladies.....sitting in the sand.... Each one wishing....that the other was a man.”
Bill
had been ill for some time recently and his death was very sad but not a
complete surprise. I will miss that sense of humor but note it has
passed along to his children.
Joan Latham was born locally, was
married to Richard Latham for almost 67 years, and was very active in
the Noank Baptist Church as a deacon, president of the Ladies Aid
Society and Fidelis, along with helping to run Brownie, Cub and Boy
Scouts in which their children participated. She and Richard, along with
the Bordens, were constant supporters at their children’s athletic
events. My wife and I got to know Joan very well through the church as
well as the fire department, where Richard was the chief for 30 years.
Joan
had also been ill for some time but her death right after Bill Borden’s
was a blow to both families. I'll remember Joan for her jovial
sense of humor and her ability to get right to the point when church
discussions were going off track.
I will also never forget the
influence she and Richard provided for guiding younger families to the
benefits of taking their kids to Disney World in Florida and going on
all the rides. This included ourselves, and we had a great time.
Joan always claimed that husband Richard was “the biggest kid of all” on all the rides.
Then,
one week later, we lost Fred Kent, age 72, on Jan. 11 due to an unexpected heart
attack. Many of us had been working
with him on recent political group activity involving possible changes
to the Groton Town Charter. He was tireless in his
canvassing activities. And age 72 is too young to go, as I sit writing
this article at age 78, biting my fingernails slightly.
Fred and
his wife Ginger were married for 35 years, had two daughters and lived
in Mystic since 2013 after Fred retired from AT&T Communications.

He already had strong family ties to this area, including
Noank and Groton Long Point and was active in the U.S. Army Military
Police during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1973, serving as captain for
the last two years. Locally, he was serving as vice commander of Noank’s
American Legion Post # 115, where I first met Fred.

My lasting memory is of Fred marching down Main Street, leading the Legion
Post #115 during Noank’s last Memorial Day Parade in May 2018. He was a
tall, proud, engaging figure, and it was a relief to finally find
someone taller than myself in Noank.
Yes, we lost four good people
in a very short period of time. I will remember them...whether
it be at a church service, our street corner, a football game, a track
meet or a parade. May they rest in peace.
Ed Johnson lives in Noank.