John R. Lacey

John R. Lacey of Fenwick, Killington and Washington D.C. passed away on December 1st. Born on June 28, 1945, John was the son of the Honorable J. Robert Lacey and Marie McNerney Lacey of Southington, CT. A graduate of the Robinson School, John went on to Georgetown University where he received a B.S.F.S. from the School of Foreign Service. While at Georgetown, John became an original F.O.B., and remained a lifelong friend of President Clinton.

John received his J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School and a M.A.L.D. degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. John practiced corporate and international business law as a partner in the Hartford firm of Copp, Berall & Hempstead and was a founding partner of Lacey, Meissel, Koven & Kaufman.

In 1994, John was nominated by President Clinton to serve on the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. In January, 2001, John was elevated to Chairman. In 2002, John was appointed as an Appellate Hearing Examiner for the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Throughout his service, John was a kind and compassionate voice in the adjudication of claims of suffering families. John's service went under the radar of most Americans, but the thousands affected witnessed his goodness.

A private man, John was a thoughtful and generous person. He was a good friend, always there when needed. "He gave more than he took."

John was a passionate reader, always thirsting for knowledge since his childhood. In his early teens, John caught the ski bug. He skied Killington from its inception. John was a part-time ski instructor at Killington for many years. He delighted in working the British Programs, teaching hundreds of young Brits to ski, and sharing stories of their first ski experiences and impressions of the New World.

John loved Fenwick. During summers, John would be seen out on the golf course uttering classic Lacey-isms like: "Just missed that one", or after his playing partner hit a particularly poor shot: "why don't you swing a little faster?" No matter what the score, John was always gracious, humble and a true pleasure to be around.

The funeral procession will begin to assemble at 9am on Monday, December 16th at Swan Funeral Home, 1224 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, and will proceed to a 10:30am Mass of Christian Burial in St. John Church, 161 Main Street, Old Saybrook. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the John R. Lacey Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Inc. or the John R. Lacey Scholarship Fund at Fletcher.