Obituary of William Evans Stockdale

William Evans Stockdale, 91, of Putnam, CT died peacefully at his home on Monday, September 14, 2009. He leaves his wife of 60 years, G. Constance (Richard) Stockdale, his son Richard and wife Susan, his daughter Rebecca and husband Stephen Woolley, his son Christopher, his daughter Heather and husband Thomas Perilstein, his daughter Cynthia and husband Jeffrey Freeland, his son Joshua and wife Kim and grandchildren Jacob and Seth Stockdale-Woolley, Austin Perilstein, Charlotte and Eleanor Freeland, and Korinne and Camden Stockdale. He was predeceased by his beloved son Robin in 1998. William was born August 3, 1918 in Putnam, CT, the son of William Patterson Stockdale and Bertha Evans. He lived in Putnam all his life. He attended Yale University. In 1949, for his honeymoon, he and his wife and boxer dog walked "across America afoot," 3525 miles from Putnam, CT to Los Angeles, CA. This adventure was the start of a long and fulfilling career as a travel lecturer and writer. He and his wife visited over 65 countries on six different continents. He shared his love of travel through writing, television, and lectures. He wrote many articles for the Travel Section of the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the Worcester Telegram. He presented his travelogues on television series broadcast in the U.S. and Canada. He will be remembered by many for his personal and humorous travelogues presented at colleges, schools, and auditoriums across the country. His films centered on experiences traveling with his family off the beaten tourist path to enjoy local life and treasures throughout the world. He often noted that each trip ended at the place he loved the most, his home in Putnam, CT. In 2004 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Travel Adventure Cinema Society. William was a performer and loved an audience. He had amazing knowledge and recall, and artfully ad-libbed when he could not remember a travel fact. He delighted in treating family and friends to his zany sense of humor. He was a sentimentalist and foremost was his love of family. A celebration of his life will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, September 20 at the United Methodist Church, 51 Grove St., Putnam, CT. Memorial contributions may be made to Daily Bread, 6 Bradley St., Putnam, CT 06260. Arrangements by Smith and Walker Funeral Home. To share a memory with his family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com