EDDY, Roger (Whittlesey) 1920-2003

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born March 29, 1920, in Newington, CT; died March 29, 2003, in Newington, CT. Farmer, politician, inventor, businessman, and author. Eddy was a farmer who also held elected offices in Connecticut and invented a bird caller. A 1942 graduate of Yale University, where he earned a B.A., he was in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II and was awarded two Silver Stars and a Bronze Star for his heroic acts as a member of the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment fighting on the Aleutian Islands and as part of the Tenth Mountain Division in Italy. Returning to his Connecticut farm after the war, Eddy produced and sold dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. His love of birds led to his invention of the Audubon Birdcall in 1952, which he manufactured and sold himself for the rest of his life. A member of the Republican National Committee, he was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1959 and served in the state senate from 1967 to 1971. Eddy also found success as a writer, penning four novels, two of which were later adapted for television. His fiction works include The Rimless Wheel (1948), The Bulls and the Bees (1958), A Family Affair (1959), and Best by Far (1966). In addition, he wrote two nonfiction books, Never Trust a Presidentof the United States: So Said Jefferson, So Said Lincoln (1969) and Connecticut (1989), the latter a coffee table photography book.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

periodicals

New York Times, April 3, 2003, p. C14.

Washington Post, April 3, 2003, p. B7.