Sue Wolf, the editor of the Redding Pilot, died yesterday after a short battle with lung cancer. I just learned this and wanted to share something that she did for me that Ill never forget. When my grandfather passed away on February 28 of 2011(a Monday night), I was devastated. He meant a great deal to me and writing his obituary was impossible...literally. I was up all night from Tuesday into Wednesday, I soaked at least three shirts with tears and at 8am Wednesday morning forwarded to Sue an obituary that lacked a lot about his life: Harry L. Colley was an exceptional man who always found a way to make each and every person he came into contact with feel special. He cared deeply for others and his positive energy was infectious. In his position as postmaster at Redding Center for over two decades, this quality clearly shined brightly, and that is to say: The job fit his personality nicely. Henry David Thoreau wrote that most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them. That was not my grandfather; he knew his song and he sang it well. He had a very special way of interacting with others and opening their eyes to the importance of the history that surrounds us all. Through him I learned the power of sharing stories and communicating with an audience to get them excited about where they live. It was sad to watch him go, but today we are proud to acknowledge his life and legacy. Sue got back to me around 9am and frankly noted: Brent. This lacks a lot of information and I really think you overlooked a lot of what he did for the community. I replied that I was a mess and that I had tried, but, I just couldnt. It was too difficult and that she was right but I just couldnt do any better. And in my mind, that was that... I had failed but given the circumstances who could blame me? What I didnt know is that Sue took it upon herself to (before the 11am deadline) pull all that the Pilot had on my grandfather and take what I had written and add to it all that needed to be said in his obituary: Sues version: Harry L. Colley, former Redding Center postmaster and local historian, died on Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 at Danbury Hospital. He was 93. A Redding, Connecticut native, Mr. Colley was self-employed as an electrical contractor until 1962 when he became a postal carrier for Route Two in West Redding. He was a rural carrier for five years before being named acting postmaster in 1967, serving at what is now the Redding Center Post Office. He was promoted to postmaster there in 1971. He was often consulted about local history, particularly the history of Georgetown. He served four years in the Signal Corps in Australia during World War II. At one time, he was an active member of the Redding Democratic Town Committee, a former chairman of the Town Board of Tax Review and also served eight years as 2nd District registrar of voters. He was a former president of the Redding Boys and Girls Club and a member of the Johnson-Frederickson Post of the American Legion and Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department. Harry L. Colley was an exceptional man who always found a way to make each and every person he came into contact with feel special. He cared deeply for others and his positive energy was infectious. In his position as postmaster at Redding Center for over two decades, this quality clearly shined brightly, and that is to say: The job fit his personality nicely, said his grandson Brent Colley. Brent added: Henry David Thoreau wrote that most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them. That was not my grandfather; he knew his song and he sang it well. He had a very special way of interacting with others and opening their eyes to the importance of the history that surrounds us all. Through him I learned the power of sharing stories and communicating with an audience to get them excited about where they live. It was sad to watch him go, but today we are proud to acknowledge his life and legacy. He is survived by two sons, John W. Colley and his wife Joan of Redding and Harry L. Colley II and Barbara Farnsworth of West Cornwall; grandsons Brent M.Colley of Sharon, and Jamesen P.Colley of Franklin, Mass; a granddaughter, Megan Colley of Boston, Mass. and six great-grandchildren. He was the husband of Emma Gallagher Colley, a Danbury native who passed away in 2008. They had been married for 64 years. I cant tell you what that meant to not only me but my entire family. Sue Wolf was a very caring woman and she will be missed, I greatly enjoyed spending time with her and I pray she rests in peace.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:45:11 +0000
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