William L. Huntington Jr.

Born in Norwich, CT on July 24, 1922, he was the son of William L. Huntington Sr. and Doris (Drake) Huntington. A longtime resident of Norwich, he resided in Uncasville for the last 36 years. Mr. Huntington was a 1940 graduate of the Norwich Free Academy and received a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1949. He was a Fellow and Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of the CT Society of Civil Engineers.

He married Eleanor Margaret (Mueller) January 5, 1945 in Norwich, CT. She predeceased him in 2000.

Retiring in 1976 from the CT Department of Transportation, Mr. Huntington rose from Engineers’ Helper to become its Chief of Engineer and Director of Construction & Maintenance. He worked as a Highway Department Inspector in New London and Groton when the Gold Star Bridge interchanges were being built in the early 1940’s. He again worked in New London and Groton as the Project Director in the early 1970’s on the entire work of the I-95 bridges and approaches. Following his retirement, he became President and Executive Director of the CT Bituminous Concrete Producers Association.

Mr. Huntington was a veteran of WWII serving as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. He also served in Korea in 1951-1953 as a Captain and Battery Commander in Anti-aircraft Artillery. He later served in the National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel in command of the 192nd Engineer Battalion with Headquarters in New London. Following his Military retirement in 1966 as a Colonel, he became a member of The Retired Officers Association and served as the Chaplain and Adjutant of the New London Chapter of the Military Order of World Wars.

As a member of the CT Society of Genealogists, Mr. Huntington traced his ancestry directly back to Simon and Christopher Huntington, who helped settle Norwich in 1659. He was past President of the Huntington Family Association, a national group of some 1600 persons of Huntington Ancestry. Mr. Huntington was also a member of the Nathan Hale and Samuel Huntington Chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Society of the Founders of Norwich.

During the 1960’s he was active with the Norwich Little League and was instrumental in securing federal loans to construct the present Little League Complex on Otrobando Avenue, where one of the fields is named for him.

He will be deeply missed by his two sons, William L. Huntington III and his wife, Susan, of Oakdale, and James L. Huntington and his wife, Suzanne, of Voluntown; and a brother, Robert Huntington and his wife, Florence, of Norwich. In addition, he is survived by three grandchildren, Jill Mazzalupo, Melissa Huntington and William Huntington IV; and three great-grandchildren James, Matthew and Olivia.

The family wants to thank Academy Point at Mystic and the 4.1 staff at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital for their kindness and caring.

A private service will be held at Yantic Cemetery at the convenience of the family. There are no calling hours.

To leave a message of condolence for Mr. Huntington’s family, please visit his memorial at www.churchandallen.com

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Mr. Huntington’s memory may be made to the Governor Samuel Huntington Trust, Inc., P.O. Box 231, Scotland, CT 06264.

The Church and Allen Funeral Home, 136 Sachem St. Norwich, is entrusted with arrangements.