Dudley Harrison, life long resident of North Branford, passed away peacefully on December 20th, at the age of 83. He was born November 8, 1936, to the late Clifford E. Harrison and the late Lucy Dudley Harrison. He was the beloved husband of Ethel (Vicky) Brindley Harrison for over 60 years and is also survived by his two cherished daughters, Susan Harrison Toal (Terry) CT., Sandra Harrison Faulkner (Cliff) CT., and Leslie Brindley Potter (Ted, dec.) CT. He also leaves behind four beloved grandchildren, Devan Zadrozny (Justin) N.J. , Shannon Toal N.Y., Matthew Faulkner (Hannah) CT., and Lucy Faulkner CT.
Dudley graduated from East Haven High School and Hartford Regional Technical School, majoring in the carpentry trade and spent four years in the army reserves. He went on to work as a carpenter and then construction superintendent until his retirement. In 2012, he was honored with a lifetime membership by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters for 50 years of continuous membership.
A hard working family man, Dudley lived his entire life on Harrison Farm and was well known for growing Christmas trees, producing maple syrup, blueberries and fighting hard to preserve North Branford’s farming and agricultural heritage. In 2008, Dudley was named North Branford’s “person of the week” and honored at the Totoket Historical Society’s 50th anniversary for his community work and dedication to preserving North Branford’s farming traditions. At that time, the museum’s weathervane and a plaque were officially dedicated to him. He enjoyed playing guitar in the North Street band, “The Last Hayride”, performing in their barn and at many town events. He took great pleasure in feeding birds and watching the wildlife that came to his backyard. He was especially proud of his family and always looked forward to family gatherings.
A generous man, Dudley leaves behind the Harrison Farm Preserve, that he and Vicky donated to the North Branford Land Conservation Trust in 2018. This land that the Harrisons purchased years ago has beautiful trails that they created over the years and is to be protected in it’s natural state in perpetuity, for all to enjoy.
There are no services planned at this time per Dudley’s wishes. Donations in his memory may be made to any of the following:
The North Branford Land Conservation Trust, Inc. P.O. Box 378, North Bfd., Ct. 06471
The Totoket Historical Society P.O. Box 491, Northford, Ct. 06472
The North Branford Congregational Church 1680 Foxon Rd. North Bfd., Ct. 06471
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Dudley A Harrison, please visit our floral store.