Harry Franklin Merrow

Harry Franklin Merrow died Wednesday August 1 at his home at Duncaster in Bloomfield Ct. where he lived for the past three years. Prior to that Mr. Merrow was a resident of West Hartford, Ct, and until 1963 of Bristol Connecticut where he was born on September 23, 1924. He is survived by his son Christopher Merrow and his wife Deborah Koltenuk, of West Hartford. He was predeceased by his wife, Corinne Spell Merrow to whom he was married for 56 years and by second son Scott Merrow. He is also survived by a nephew, Jeffrey Merrow and his wife Nancy of Bristol, and their sons Tyler and Scott; and by his niece Darci Merrow Buchanan and her husband Brian of Newport, RI. He also leaves behind his very dear friend Rosemary Conard of West Hartford. Mr. Merrow retired in 1981 from the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co. as Senior Vice President and as a member of its? senior management Policy committee. At Connecticut Mutual, Mr. Merrow was most proud of his work pioneering and defining corporate social responsibility. His efforts to provide real opportunities for the career advancement of women were groundbreaking. After two years of enjoying his retirement, he was asked by his contemporaries, Denis Mullane and John Filer, to launch the first stand alone chapter of the American Leadership Forum, a nation-wide organization the purpose of which was to form a bond between the public and private sectors of the greater Hartford community. He presided over the first eight yearly classes of the Forum before retiring again in 1992. During this period he provided mentoring and counsel to the region?s next generation of leaders, providing a moral and ethical foundation that still serves the greater Hartford Region today. Harry had difficultly staying retired. In 1994, he was invited by the then Speaker of the House, Thomas D. Ritter, to serve him as a Senior Advisor and be responsible for organizing Speaker Ritter?s transition team during his first term. He did this for two years. In 1996, Harry first found out he had Parkinson?s disease, which led to his third and final retirement. Throughout his 50 year, career Harry tirelessly served the community. His was a quiet but constant presence in the ongoing struggle to advance social, racial, economic and religious justice in the Greater Hartford region. During the 1970?s he served as a founder, Director and Chairman of the Hartford Economic Development Corporation. He also was Chairman of the Committee that established Asylum Hill Inc., and served as its President. He served as a board member of countless organizations, including the United Way, the Downtown Council, Campfire Girls, the Coordinating Council for Foundations, the YWCA Counseling Services, the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau of Hartford and the Urban League. He also was a Director of Greater Hartford Process and coordinated its Executive Committee then known colloquially as ?the Bishops?, comprised of the CEO?s of Hartford?s major corporations, who worked with local governments to plan for the future of Hartford and the region. He attended Bristol High School and received a BS degree from Northwestern University in 1949 and a MA from Trinity College in 1951. He served for several years on the adjunct English faculty at the University of Hartford. He served as a SGT in the 104th Infantry Division during WW II and ended up in Europe seeing service in both France and Germany. Before joining the Army, Mr. Merrow was a great musician, a trumpet player, who was selected for the American Youth Orchestra. His prowess with the trumpet led to him serving in the Army?s European theater band, but at heart he was still an infantryman marching through Europe with his trumpet as well as his rifle. Mr. Merrow was an avid tennis player and a long time member of the Hartford Tennis Club. He co-owned and operated two of the first wave of indoor tennis clubs in the Greater Hartford area, Farmington Farms Racquet Club and the Oakwood Farms Racquet Club in Glastonbury. For nearly 50 years, Harry Merrow, a modest and down to earth man, was a towering ethical force in the Greater Hartford community. He provided a moral compass for several generations of Hartford?s leaders. He did so without ego or personal ambition. His presence will be sorely missed by the community. Molloy Funeral Home of West Hartford is responsible for arrangements. A memorial service with reception following will be held for Mr. Merrow, in THE MEETING ROOM AT DUNCASTER, 40 Loeffler Road in Bloomfield on Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 10:30 AM. Entrance can be accessed off Loeffler Rd. or through the Aquatic Center off Mountain Rd. Private burial will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Merrow Family Memorial Fund c/o the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, 10 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT. 06106.

Harry Franklin Merrow

September 23, 1924 - August 1, 2007