Richard A. MacLennan, much beloved husband and father, passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours on January 27, 2019 at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was 74.
He is survived by his wife, Lynn, his daughter, Elizabeth, and son, Logan.
Rick was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 1, 1944. He was the son of Donald MacLennan and Josephine Hoyle. He graduated from Minnechaug High School in Wilbraham, Mass., in 1962 and earned a B.S. from the University of Arizona in Tucson in June of 1968.
He began his career in New York City as an account executive in the advertising business. Rick moved from advertising to financial services in 1972 as a retail account executive at E.F. Hutton. Rick spent the next 30 years on Wall Street, working in commodities and options both at Bache and Shearson Loeb Rhoades.
He eventually became manager for the Shearson Lehman Brothers branch offices in Hartford and Mystic, Conn., which later became Smith Barney. While living In New York City, Rick established a wide and varied circle of friends who loved his adventurous and engaging spirit.
In 1981 he married Lynn, the woman who would be by his side for 37 years. They had two children, Elizabeth and Logan. Rick was enormously proud of his children and his family. They were what mattered most to him. In 1985 Rick moved with his family to the Hartford area, living in Haddam for the past 34 years.
An active member of his community, he served as president of the Haddam Historical Society and was instrumental in securing the rights to the Connecticut Spring Antiques Show for the Society. Rick was an avid antiques collector with a fine eye. After his retirement from Smith Barney in 2002, he pursued his passion for antiques, participating in antique shows throughout New England.
Rick also had a great love of Mexico and often traveled to Merida in the Yucatan Peninsula. He loved the Mayan culture and spent much time there in past years.
Rick was a larger than life personality. A gifted storyteller whose presence filled any room he entered, he was never at a loss for words.
Rick was an unforgettable man and a form of energy all his own. He had a compassionate heart and was a devoted husband and father and a loyal friend. Rick was much loved and will be long remembered by all those whose lives he touched. As his daughter, Elizabeth, wrote, “He was the most authentic, charming, eccentric, outrageous, big-hearted, full living, hard loving person around.”
A memorial in celebration of his life will be held at his home in the spring. Biega Funeral Home has care of the arrangements. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.
