Obituary: Herman Fonteyne

Herman Fonteyne 73, of West Simsbury, Conn. passed away on Thursday morning, (October 11, 2012) at his home.  He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Letty Fonteyne, his children Karen, Inge and Els, his grandchildren Anastazia, Nickolas, Finn, Sophie, Axel and Ludo, sons-in-law Mark and Dean. He is pre-deceased by his beloved son, Jan.   He was born in 1939 in Ghent, Belgium.  Herman graduated from the University of Leuven, Belgium with a degree in Chemical Engineering.  He worked for Monsanto in Belgium and then in the United States.  In 1982, he joined Ensign-Bickford Industries in Simsbury, Conn. where he served as CEO and President. Herman was very active on the Simsbury Land Trust and Hartford Art School boards.  He loved books, sailing, golf, a good bottle of wine and above all, his wife, family, and friends.  His service to the community and his generosity were hallmarks of his character.  He was a mentor to many and respected by all.  His charisma, big smile, loving nature and wise counsel will be missed.  Friends and family are invited to come to a memorial reception on Monday, October 15 at Hopmeadow Country Club.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) or the Jan H. Fonteyne Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (www.hfpg.org).