Remembering Edward James Halbach
July 25, 1926 – September 15, 2018
A lifelong resident of the Clarks Corner section of Hampton, Edward James Halbach passed away on September 15th surrounded by his family. Living and passing only a tenth of a mile from the place of his birth, leaving only a brief time to serve in the Navy during World War II. Working in many of the area industrial mills, as a tool and die maker and a tool and die engineer. Spending most of his life on the family farm, Elm Pine Farm, puttering and fixing and repairing something. Gardening, tending to the cows. Taking care of his mom for years until the end of her life. Bringing in hay, cutting wood, creating something useful in his workshop, his last project recycling short pieces of decking wood, making longer pieces to place on the bottom edge of the blueberry net – hold down the net, it is going to get windy…that was only five weeks ago. I thought, as I followed him in his stair climber chair, amazing for ninety-two. But then not so amazing when he forgot I was behind him and he left the chair in the middle of the stairway. “Uh, dad, I am stuck here.” And he chuckled as he positioned the chair so I could get by. You could still see that twinkle in his eye when a project was going the way he wanted it to.

I think many of his neighbors will miss seeing that golf cart with the little dog and his human going down the street. He took his last ride on the golf cart, with his son, to the farm in June; he wasn’t going to miss his great grandson’s high school graduation party.

Ed was predeceased by his wife Ethel, brothers Charlie, Adolph and Guy Wood. He leaves a son, David, and his wife Ruth. Daughters, Deborah Halbach, Karen Halbach, and Kathleen Saucier and husband Ken Burkhardt. Three grandchildren, Helen Merasco and husband Dan, Kristian Saucier, wife Sadie and Michael Halbach, three great grandchildren, Taylor Merasco, Tom Merasco and Kassandra Saucier, and many nieces and nephews.

Internment for both Ed and Ethel will be October 13th, graveside at 11AM in the South Cemetery in Hampton. Memorial Service to follow at the Chaplin Congregational Church at 12:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Masonic Care Home Health and Hospice (45 Clara Drive, Mystic, CT. 06355) in memory of Ed Halbach; or Hospice and Palliative Care of Northeastern Connecticut (c/o Day Kimball Hospital Development, P. O. Box 632, Putnam CT.06260 in memory of Ethel Halbach.