Richard Fitzhugh Ledyard passed away December 25, 2019 in Bellevue, WA. He was born July 19, 1927, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Richard F. and Mary Ledyard. At the age of 12 he recuperated from appendicitis at the home of his Grandfather George Strawbridge Ledyard in Cazenovia. He remained there, going to school, and in his last three high school years he attended the South Kent School in Conn., graduating in 1945. That year he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Airforce as a Seaman 1st Class Naval Reserve, serving one year. He then lived with Mrs. Elithalet Remington, his Aunt at Lorenzo, in Cazenovia, during his vacations from Dartmouth College, graduating in 1950, where he had been a member of Kappa Kappa Kappa. In that year he married his wife of 69 years, Theckla Constable. In that year he also started his 35-year career with the Graybar Electric Co. in the Syracuse office warehouse. He went on to be branch manager at Long Island City, then branch manager at Syracuse and Newark, where they lived in Montclair, NJ. Onward to Houston and Beaumont, Texas, continuing on as branch manager, then to Grand Rapids, MI retiring to Bellevue, WA after 35 years with Graybar, and keeping a summer home in Trinity, TX and Cazenovia for a good deal of that time.
Known for his quick humor, he was a charter member, and past vice president and president of the Optimist Club of Cazenovia, and was instrumental in forming an Optimist Club in DeWitt. He was a member of the Rotary Club of East Syracuse, and a director of the Adequate Wiring Bureau of Central New York. While in New Jersey he was a volunteer with the Montclair Essex Co. Ambulance Unit. He was vice president of the Essex Electrical League and treasurer of the New Jersey Council of Electric Leagues. Back in Syracuse again, he was elected to the Adequate Wiring Board of Directors, representing Graybar. Back in New Jersey again, he was captain of the Montclair Vol. Ambulance Unit and chairman of Ambulance and Rescue Squads Captain’s Council serving Mountainside Hospital.
By 1970 he was branch manager in Houston and in 1974, branch manager in Beaumont, TX where he was a member of Rotary, hosting young business men from Kathmandu, India, London, England and the Phillipines under the Rotary program. His family also hosted a small group of Japanese girls traveling across the country under a YWCA tour. He was president of the American Field Service International/Intercultural Council of Beaumont.
He was coordinator of the Leadership Beaumont Program of 1981. He was given a farewell dinner and presented with a key to the city by Beaumont Mayor Maurey Meyers for his volunteer work. In that same year he ventured into politics, campaigning for the Governor of Texas, then becoming campaign manager for his friend running for city council, and also when she ran for Mayor of Beaumont, cut short by another move.
By 1982 he had transferred to Grand Rapids, MI as Branch Manager retiring in 1986 after 35 years with Graybar and moving to Bellevue. There he became a volunteer with the Literacy Council and gave 18 years volunteering as a pre-Sentence writer for the City of Bellevue Probation Department. He completed the Bellevue Police Community Academy in 1993. He lived in Tam O’Shanter where he enjoyed golf and many bridge games and ran Bingo for the Club for several years.
Over the years he belonged to the Bradford Bath and Tennis Club, the Glen Ridge Club, the Cazenovia Golf Club, the Cazenovia Club and the Tam O’Shanter Golf and Country Club and the Colgate College Presidents Club.
Mr. Ledyard is survived by his wife of 69 years, Theckla; a son George Strawbridge Ledyard (Genie), daughter Theckla Dalton Roginski (Michael) and daughter Kimberly Jongebloed McGee (Robert) and eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Ruth and his brother Robert.
For those wishing to make a remembrance, you may remember the Nature Conservancy, Friends of Lorenzo in Cazenovia or the SPCA.
