Obituary of Thayer Talcott, Jr.

Thayer (Terry) Talcott, Jr., died at home on September 15, 2020. The son of Thayer and Margaret (Lea) Talcott, he was born in Orange, New Jersey, on June 20, 1938. He graduated from The Pingry School in 1956 and Middlebury College in Vermont in 1960. He received a Master’s Degree from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking of Rutgers University and afterwards taught at the school. Since 1978 when he married Ann Ward, his journey was shared by the love of his life. Terry’s curiosity led him to read endlessly, frequently sharing articles of interest with others who might benefit from the contents. With intelligence and vision, he was a skilled planner. His style was simple and he led with integrity. Terry told a good story. He had a way of pulling one into a conversation and maintaining that conversation with sincere interest. His kindness, generosity, trustworthiness, innate goodness, and unfailing sense of humor marked him as a true gentleman. His career was spent in banking. Joining the First National State Bank in 1962, Terry rose to become a senior executive of the First Fidelity Bancorporation (now Wells Fargo) before his retirement in 1993. Subsequently, he became president and chief executive officer of First Morris Bank, Morristown, (now Provident Bank), continuing to serve on the Board of Directors after his retirement as president. In addition, Terry spent over 50 years as a director of Borden Mining Company, Frostburg, MD, the last 15 of which as president of the board. Always involved with the community, Terry was a member and president of the Board of Managers of Rosedale Cemetery for many years, member and treasurer of the board of the YWCA of Essex & West Hudson in Orange, a director of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce, a trustee and assistant treasurer of the Educational Assistance Corporation of Morris County, and a director of The Pingry School Alumni Association. He was a founding member, treasurer, and trustee of the 200 Club of Warren County; and a member of the 200 Clubs of Morris County and of Essex County. Terry volunteered weekly at Overlook Hospital for 24 years and at Morristown Medical Center for five years. Wherever he was, he looked for opportunities to mentor young people. Terry used encouragement and guidance to develop others’ abilities and talents at the bank, on boards, even supplying garden vegetables to teach business fundamentals to neighborhood children with a veggie stand. Inspired by a class on the environment at Middlebury, Terry was an ardent conservationist. He was a founding member of an early volunteer environmental organization in Millburn/Short Hills; a founding member of the Suburban Ducks Unlimited Chapter, and a strong supporter of Trout Unlimited, international conservation groups. He volunteered at the Hartshorn Arboretum in Short Hills for several years and helped with the plant sale at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum after moving to Morris County. Fishing and gardening were Terry’s two outdoor passions. Having been taught to fish as a boy by his Grandfather Lea, he had the patience and strength required to be an excellent angler. He was a longtime member of the WindBeam Club, Ringwood, NJ, for fly-fishing and frequently went on charter trips at the Jersey shore. He took numerous trips to Alaska and British Columbia to catch the big ones. Terry took after his mother in being an outstanding gardener, for both vegetables and flowers, a love he shared with his wife Ann. A lifelong interest in military history was fostered by Terry’s service in the Vermont and New Jersey National Guards after college. Books, movies, and documentaries on the Civil War, World War I, and World War II were favorites. In his younger years, he played tennis, paddle tennis, golf, and bridge and walked for miles. He was on the track and football teams at Pingry. And, when Pingry fielded the first high school lacrosse team in New Jersey, Terry was on it. Ann survives him as do his sister Carol Ackland (Robert), sister-in-law Diana Talcott (Lea), brother-in-law C. David Ward (Ann), nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Preston Lea Talcott. Funeral arrangements were private. Memorial donations may be made to the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, 475 South Street, First Floor, Morristown, NJ 07960, or the charity of your choice.