Obituary for William G. "Bill" Kweder
William George Kweder
Bill Kweder, a longtime resident of Enfield and more recently Suffield, Connecticut, passed from this life on December 5 at Hartford Hospital. Following a two-week hospitalization for Covid-19, he was undergoing rehab when a major stroke took his life just shy of 91 years old.
Bill was known and loved by many in Enfield, where he lived with his family on Steele Road from 1963 – 2019. As the first town planner of the growing suburb, Bill’s career later led him to West Hartford, and as a consultant and advisor to many smaller towns in the state, including Suffield. Involved in many community activities, he was a founding member of St. Philip Catholic Church in East Windsor, serving the parish council for many years, tirelessly helping to keep parish finances in sound order. He was active in the Knights of Columbus, Broad Brook Council, including as Grand Knight for several years (he was an excellent Bingo caller). Bill’s deep faith in God was quiet, but he lived it with his honesty, integrity and warmth. His big smile and community spirit were widely known and contagious. In later years he turned his passion for great food into serving the under at the Enfield Food Shelf, where he stocked shelves, served on the Board of Directors as well as clients and organized major fund raisers for the charity. It was all joy to him. He solicited other volunteers with his way of getting them to show up to join the cause when they least expected it. “He was such a wonderful man, his volunteer work was truly motivating for me,” said one of Bill’s friends and former colleagues. “I am still working at my own local food pantry based on his example.” When he could no longer work at the food shelf, he turned his energy to the resident council at Suffield by the River.
Bill was born December 28, 1930, in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Ann (Colonies) and William J. Kweder. The second of their two children, Bill was predeceased by his sister Elizabeth (Billie June) Pope, 7 years older. The family moved to Shrewsbury when Bill was young, making a home in a converted chicken coop while building a house on lake Quinsigamond. From his Scottish mother he learned to pinch pennies. He played football in high school, but it was crew at which he excelled: his 4-man team qualified for the 1952 Olympic trials, but duty to country prohibited competing. Bill had joined the Marine Corps at 18, serving in Argentia, Newfoundland. While his 3 mates would be allowed leave from their services to compete, the Marine Corps viewed things differently. Life was good, though, as he later met and married the love of his life, Antoinette (Toni) Morano in 1955, for whom he would be sole caregiver through a prolonged battle with dementia before her death in 2018. With Toni by his side, Bill had many joys, he found himself a graduate of the University of Massachusetts (BA) and Michigan State University (MA), after which they made Enfield their home. Bill leaves behind their 3 loving daughters, their husbands and 10 grandchildren: Sandra Kweder, MD (Philip Coyne, MD) of Amsterdam, Netherlands and their children LCDR Mary Coyne, USN-R (Adam Garfrerick), Virginia Coyne and Brendan Coyne; Ann (Steven Ziter) of Ellington, CT and their children Jacob Ziter (Dana Amendola), Samuel Ziter and Rachel Ziter and; Paula Kweder (Paul Coutinho) of Millis, MA, and her children Grace Lessard and Anne Lessard. They, scattered from Ellington to Fairfield, Saratoga Springs, NY, to Louisville, Kentucky and Cape Cod to Somaliland, will miss him dearly, especially his zest for life, love of a great meal, a crisp glass of white wine and family gatherings. Bill and his bright light will live on forever in our hearts. The family will welcome relatives and friends from 3 PM to 6 PM on Friday, December 10 at the Browne Memorial Chapels, 43 Shaker Road in Enfield, CT and a Mass of Christian Burial celebrating his life at St. Marianne Cope Parish, St. Philip Church at 150 South Main Street, East Windsor, CT to be held on Sat. Dec. 11, 2021 at 10:00am, meeting at the church. Please wear a mask while attending the mass. Interment with military honors will follow in St. Catherine Cemetery, Broad Brook, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Enfield Food Shelf, P.O. Box 699, Enfield, CT 06083, or www.enfieldfoodshelf.org, are appreciated.
Bill Kweder, a longtime resident of Enfield and more recently Suffield, Connecticut, passed from this life on December 5 at Hartford Hospital. Following a two-week hospitalization for Covid-19, he was undergoing rehab when a major stroke took his life just shy of 91 years old.
Bill was known and loved by many in Enfield, where he lived with his family on Steele Road from 1963 – 2019. As the first town planner of the growing suburb, Bill’s career later led him to West Hartford, and as a consultant and advisor to many smaller towns in the state, including Suffield. Involved in many community activities, he was a founding member of St. Philip Catholic Church in East Windsor, serving the parish council for many years, tirelessly helping to keep parish finances in sound order. He was active in the Knights of Columbus, Broad Brook Council, including as Grand Knight for several years (he was an excellent Bingo caller). Bill’s deep faith in God was quiet, but he lived it with his honesty, integrity and warmth. His big smile and community spirit were widely known and contagious. In later years he turned his passion for great food into serving the under at the Enfield Food Shelf, where he stocked shelves, served on the Board of Directors as well as clients and organized major fund raisers for the charity. It was all joy to him. He solicited other volunteers with his way of getting them to show up to join the cause when they least expected it. “He was such a wonderful man, his volunteer work was truly motivating for me,” said one of Bill’s friends and former colleagues. “I am still working at my own local food pantry based on his example.” When he could no longer work at the food shelf, he turned his energy to the resident council at Suffield by the River.
Bill was born December 28, 1930, in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Ann (Colonies) and William J. Kweder. The second of their two children, Bill was predeceased by his sister Elizabeth (Billie June) Pope, 7 years older. The family moved to Shrewsbury when Bill was young, making a home in a converted chicken coop while building a house on lake Quinsigamond. From his Scottish mother he learned to pinch pennies. He played football in high school, but it was crew at which he excelled: his 4-man team qualified for the 1952 Olympic trials, but duty to country prohibited competing. Bill had joined the Marine Corps at 18, serving in Argentia, Newfoundland. While his 3 mates would be allowed leave from their services to compete, the Marine Corps viewed things differently. Life was good, though, as he later met and married the love of his life, Antoinette (Toni) Morano in 1955, for whom he would be sole caregiver through a prolonged battle with dementia before her death in 2018. With Toni by his side, Bill had many joys, he found himself a graduate of the University of Massachusetts (BA) and Michigan State University (MA), after which they made Enfield their home. Bill leaves behind their 3 loving daughters, their husbands and 10 grandchildren: Sandra Kweder, MD (Philip Coyne, MD) of Amsterdam, Netherlands and their children LCDR Mary Coyne, USN-R (Adam Garfrerick), Virginia Coyne and Brendan Coyne; Ann (Steven Ziter) of Ellington, CT and their children Jacob Ziter (Dana Amendola), Samuel Ziter and Rachel Ziter and; Paula Kweder (Paul Coutinho) of Millis, MA, and her children Grace Lessard and Anne Lessard. They, scattered from Ellington to Fairfield, Saratoga Springs, NY, to Louisville, Kentucky and Cape Cod to Somaliland, will miss him dearly, especially his zest for life, love of a great meal, a crisp glass of white wine and family gatherings. Bill and his bright light will live on forever in our hearts. The family will welcome relatives and friends from 3 PM to 6 PM on Friday, December 10 at the Browne Memorial Chapels, 43 Shaker Road in Enfield, CT and a Mass of Christian Burial celebrating his life at St. Marianne Cope Parish, St. Philip Church at 150 South Main Street, East Windsor, CT to be held on Sat. Dec. 11, 2021 at 10:00am, meeting at the church. Please wear a mask while attending the mass. Interment with military honors will follow in St. Catherine Cemetery, Broad Brook, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Enfield Food Shelf, P.O. Box 699, Enfield, CT 06083, or www.enfieldfoodshelf.org, are appreciated.