Gary R. Lehrman

Gary Ronald Lehrman, age 82, passed away on January 5 at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, Connecticut, and was previously a resident of the Commonwealth Senior Living at Haddam for six years where he and his wife Jan lived until she passed away recently.

Born in Connecticut on March 13, 1943, to Rae and Hy (Hyman) Lehrman, Gary was raised in Manchester, Connecticut. He graduated from University of Hartford in 1965 with a BA in Psychology, providing the foundation for a human resources career working for employers like Connecticut Life Insurance/CIGNA (EAP: Employee Assistance Program), United Cerebral Palsy of Connecticut, the Town of Old Saybrook, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Connecticut, and Mercury Fuel in Waterbury.

Gary was a true renaissance man with many deep interests which he pursued with intensity. His love of sailing included a memorable crewing experience as part of the acclaimed Newport Bermuda ocean sailing race, and also led to volunteering for Special Olympics Connecticut sailing competitions in support of his stepdaughter Diane. His passion translated into a long fascination with the exacting detail of handcrafted model boats. He also had a passion for building - he designed and built a restaurant (the former Deakin’s Loft restaurant in Bloomfield) as well as several of the homes where he and his wife Jan happily lived. Throughout his life, Gary appreciated the finer things in life: he relished great food and fine dining, collected art (which he framed himself), and loved buying/selling cars and boats of all kinds.

Gary’s life changed when he met the love of his life, Jan, while working at CIGNA in the EAP department. Undaunted by Jan’s devotion to her five children by a previous marriage, Gary learned to embrace the many family gatherings and occasional chaos that a large family brought, and especially loved being “Poppy” to his grand- and great-grandchildren. He was also a doting ‘parent’ to Molly, a labrador retriever that was lovingly referred to as their 6th child. In between it all, Jan and Gary enjoyed many memory-making travels throughout New England, Nova Scotia, Florida, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and beyond.

Gary was recently predeceased by his soul mate and loving wife of 40 years, Janice Koehler Lehrman. He is survived by his 5 stepchildren including Jan’s daughter and son-in-law, Susan and D. Martin Sullivan of Mashpee, MA; her daughter and son-in-law, Gail and Stewart Hench of Clinton, CT; her son and daughter-in-law Robert and Lauren Dahling of Katonah, NY; her daughter, Lynn Dahling of Salem, MA; and her daughter, Diane Dahling of Clinton, CT. He is also survived by three grandchildren including Alex and Rachel Dahling of Katonah, NY, and Kelsey Dahling Hench Okwandu, her husband Charles, and great-granddaughters Summer and Skylar of Unionville, CT. He also leaves behind several beloved cousins and dear friends.

Gary will be buried in a private service according to the Jewish tradition. In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to donate in Gary’s memory to CT Special Olympics or High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center in Old Lyme, CT.