enjoyed spending time at his family home on Cape Cod and pursuing bluefish in Vineyard Sound. He was an avid reader who supported the New Canaan Bookstore, the New Canaan Library and the Honorable John J. Burns Library at Boston College, named in honor of his father. Other involvements include support of Catholic Charities, Waveny Care Center, endowment of the Coach Mike Holovak Endowment Fund at Boston College, and service on the Alumni Board of Harvard Business School, the Taft School Board of Trustees and the Country School Board of Trustees from 1985 to 1990. He often went out of his way to mentor and jump start careers for many young graduates, and he truly loved helping others. John is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara Miller Burns, siblings Alice Burns Scanlan, Brian P. Burns, and Michael Burns, his five children, John J. Burns III, Christine Burns Bent ’81 (Steve), Gregory Burns ’84, Timothy Burns ’85 (Rachel), and Jennifer Burns ’90 (Nick), and seven grandchildren: Blake, Chase, Brooke, Rose, Leah, Iris, and Anton.
Philip Livingston Rollin DuVal died peacefully in his sleep Nov. 6, surrounded by his family at home in New Canaan, CT. Philip was born April 6, 1920 in Manhattan, NY. He attended the Allen-Stevenson School in New York City and graduated from Groton (1939) and Yale (1943 NROTC). Philip spent 6 years in the Navy spanning two wars, retiring as a Commander and earning a Bronze Star with Valor. He started his career in the menswear business and subsequently began a long and successful career in the advertising and publishing business. He was a born salesman with a strong work ethic and rose up the ranks to become President of Harper-Atlantic Sales and then Marketing Director at The New York Times Magazine. Philip believed strongly in giving back to his community. He served as a volunteer fireman in New Canaan for over 30 years and also volunteered at The Norwalk Hospital. He was a founding Elder at the First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, Chaired both the local United Way and the Town Zoning Board of Appeals and was Commissioner of The New Canaan Fire Department. Philip had a passion for all things related to fire fighting. His fascination began at an early
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age when he would visit Ladder Company 16 in NYC. He bought his first fire engine, a 1924 American La France, in 1957 and thus began The Old Faithful Hose Company, which now consists of three engines. He and his fellow Old Faithful members have given thousands of children rides, bringing joy to parents and children alike. Philip is predeceased by his loving wife Janis Lee, sons Ian Stuart Chapin and Philip Livingston Rollin II, brother Clive and sister Augusta. He is survived by his daughter Alexandra Bongaerts-DuVal ’72 and sonin-law Joost Bongaerts, grandchildren Flip Bongaerts ’02 and Nikki Bongaerts ’04; step daughter Connie and son-in-law Tim Brown and their children Tim, Matt and Maggie; step son David and daughter-inlaw Natalie and their children Katharine and Caroline; and step daughter Cookie and her son Angus. Philip was a member of The Yale Club of New York, The St. Andrews Society and The Country Club of New Canaan. In Lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his honor to The First Presbyterian Church or The Old Faithful Hose Company.
Kenneth Mountcastle, 88, of New Canaan, CT and Sea Island, GA passed away on Feb. 26, in Brunswick, Georgia. He was born on Oct. 8, 1928 in Winston-Salem, NC, son of May and Kenneth Mountcastle and graduated from Woodberry Forest School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then joined the U.S. Army where he served for two years in counterintelligence on the Korean front. Following military service, Ken joined Reynolds Securities, later Dean Witter Reynolds, as a stockbroker where he worked on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for most of his career. Throughout his work life and retirement, he actively participated in the leadership of many non-profit organizations. He served as trustee of Country School (1966–1971) as well as on the boards of the Fresh Air Fund, INFORM, the Ethel Walker School, Business Executives for National Security (BENS) and as national chair of the Coro Foundation. An avid golfer, he was a member of Pine Valley Golf Club, Country Club of New Canaan, Wee Burn Country Club and Ocean Forest.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Katharine, and his children, Mary ’69, Laura ’71, Ken ’75 and Katharine ’78; daughter-in-law Lisa Mountcastle and sons-in-law, James Overton and Mark Koster, and five grandchildren: Holt, Kemble and Kara Mountcastle and Katharine and Alexander Koster. He is also survived by his brother, George, of Winston-Salem.
Hudson “Hud” G. Stoddard, a former Chairman of the New Canaan Board of Education and a former member of the New Canaan Town Council, died on Oct. 2 at Waveny Care Center of natural causes. He was 94. Despite struggling for many years with dementia, Hud always maintained his kindness, sunny demeanor, sense of humor, respect for others and joy in everyday life and those around him. Hud and his wife of 63 years, former Country School faculty member Patricia Stoddard (1968–1978), moved to New Canaan in 1956. He served for eight years on the Board of Education, two of them as its Chairman. He was instrumental in securing the land for the construction of New Canaan High School. In 1989, he was elected to the New Canaan Town Council. He is a former Board Member of the New Canaan Nature Center, the Coalition for Nuclear Arms Control, the New Canaan U.N. Committee, the New Canaan Country School (1969–1971) and the Silvermine Guild. He authored two books on town history for the New Canaan Historical Society, and took part in New Canaan fundraising efforts for the construction of a school for girls in Afghanistan and the removal of landmines from Cambodia. As a longtime member and former Elder of the New Canaan Presbyterian Church, he was proud to have attended the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington. In 2015, Hud and Pat were honored by the New Canaan Community Foundation for their many contributions to the town of New Canaan. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children and their families — Daniel Stoddard ’71 (Milagros Lecuona), Jane Stoddard Williams ’72 (Brian Williams), and Alexander Stoddard ’75 (Lisa Wyatt) — and by grandchildren Allison Williams ’03 (Ricky Van Veen), Douglas Williams ’06, Caroline Stoddard and step-granddaughter Isadora Gacel Machado Lecuona.