Edwin H. Drab passed away unexpectedly on August 4, 2023 after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Betsy; their son Stephen, and his wife Lori and their children Madison and Alyssa of Castle Rock, Colorado; their daughter Cynthia Nadeau and her husband Joseph and their children Gracie of Bethany, Connecticut and step daughter Meagan Ferguson.
He was a National Honor Society graduate of Naugatuck High School in 1959, back before grade inflation and bumper stickers proclaiming dogs being smarter than honor roll students. He then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire in 1964. He did it on the five year plan, after spending what should have been study time, on Frisbee and beer. It was there that he met Elizabeth (Betsy) Lamphere, later to be his wife, whom he partially credits with taking him from a near flunk-out to a Dean’s list student. While at UNH he was a Prytanis (President) at Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Considered a dinosaur in today’s world, he would spend his entire working career at one company, Farrel Corporation. There he held a variety of sales, engineering, and managerial positions before retiring as a director (it’s amazing how a 45 year career can be summed up in one sentence). As his career evolved so did his interests which included traveling, the NY Mets (when they played at Shea Stadium), freshwater fishing, bird (and pesky squirrel) feeding, nature walks, and visiting scenic places.
His business and personal travels had allowed him to visit every state in the continental United States as well as eleven foreign countries. It was during these trips that he enjoyed sampling the local cuisines and taught himself how to cook them so he could share them with others. It made him proud that all his children and grandchildren enjoyed lobster (especially if he bought).
Speaking of cooking, he was also the grill-meister at the neighborhood annual block party for over 35 years. Additionally, he was a social member at the Charter Hose Company in Ansonia for over twenty years, where he made their clam chowder in the Chief Foy tradition for their annual Memorial Day picnic as well as frying trout, in the Ernest Hemingway tradition, for opening day.
When not busy doing household and yard chores (low grade gardening), he enjoyed his lakeside summer cottage at a homeowner’s association (Kasson Grove Property Owners’ Association) where he was president for 25 years, which seemed an eternity at times.
When he was accused of being too frugal, he replied that it gave him more satisfaction to fix something than to throw it out and buy something new (a throwback to being a dinosaur). Later in life this morphed into “if I can’t eat it or drink it, I probably don’t need or want it”. To sum up his life, quoting from his yearbook: “Wit, words, worth”.
Friends may greet his family on Sunday November 5, 2023 at the Riverview Funeral Home, 390 River Rd. Shelton, from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm with his memorial service to follow at 2:30 pm. Please leave a condolence on line at www.riverviewfh.com
