PRWC Mourns Loss of a Founder
Jeremiah Lawrence (Larry) Pond, 86, passed away on February 16th, 2023 in Durham, New Hampshire after a short illness. He was predeceased by his wife, Gloria Dibble Pond, his son, Scott Lawrence Pond, his brother, Nathan Pond and sister, Nancy Chatfield. He is survived by his daughter-in-law, Patty Pond, of Salisbury, New Hampshire, his granddaughter, Caroline ( Matthew) Frantz-Pond of Seattle, Washington, a sister-in-law, Jill Pond of Andover, Vermont and many loving nieces and nephews.
He was born on December 28,1936 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Sebastian Lawrence and Marguerite Harkins Pond. He attended Choate School as well as Williams College and later Wesleyan Univeristy where he studied Geology and Physics. While in the army, he served as a paratrooper and parachute instructor at West Point and eventually returned to the family dairy farm on Good Hill in Woodbury, Connecticut.
He enjoyed teaching Science and taught for many years at both the high school and college level, spending much of his teaching career in Waterbury, Connecticut at Naugatuck Valley Community College, where he also directed the college observatory.
He was committed to public service, serving the Woodbury community as First Selectman, as a member of the Planning Commision, the Conservation Commission and was instrumental in establishing the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition. He was a frequent lecturer to community groups and authored numerous articles on scientific and land-use issues.
He was co-founder of the first sport parachuting school in the United States on Good Hill, Connecticut in 1958 and enjoyed flying and skydiving for much of his life. During his summer breaks from teaching, he and Gloria enjoyed sailing along the New England coast from Connecticut to Maine, a trip they made for over 40 years.
In recent years, he made his home in Durham, New Hampshire where he enjoyed the company of new friends and had many outings exploring the surrounding area. He also kept everyone laughing and smiling with his jokes and friendly demeanor.
The family would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the wonderful caregivers from Home Instead who have enriched all of our lives for the past ten years.
There will be a celebration of life at Brookdale/Spruce Wood in Durham, NH on Saturday, February 25th at 2pm and a private family gathering in Connecticut at a later date. Donations in Larry’s memory can be made to the Scott Lawrence Pond Memorial Scholarship (INFO@wsfund.org).
The Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition’s founders were Dr. Marc Taylor, Larry Pond, and Dick Leavenworth. Read more...
