Jon Riley Painter

Jon, and his identical twin brother Joe, were born on April 23, 1932 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma into a family that would grow to 13 children. Soon after his birth, the family moved to a farm in Mokane, Missouri where he initially attended a one-room schoolhouse taught by his elder sister, Iris. Jon earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri. After serving in the Army as a second Lieutenant for two years, he began a 43-year career with Uniroyal from 1957 to 2000. During his time at Uniroyal, he set up manufacturing operations throughout the world, including Japan, Brazil, Mexico and Europe. He became head of Uniroyal’s Global Quality Circles later in his career and was an avid follower of Dr. W. Edwards Demming’s Quality Management Principles.

While serving in the army he met, and soon married, his beloved wife, Lucy. They were married for 65 years and raised four children; Jonathan, Judith, Laura, and Andrew in Bethany, CT. They were also blessed with nine grandchildren.

Jon believed strongly in community service and participated in youth programs such as Junior Achievement and the Boy Scouts. He was a regular guest at the local grammar school, teaching the science of rubber, “making latex in a jar.” He also served as the President of the Institute for Learning in Retirement, an adult education program based in the New Haven area for about five years. During their time in Bethany, both Jon and Lucy were active in local government and passionate participants in the Bethany Democratic Town Committee, for which Jon served as chair for several years. After retiring, Jon participated in the local Lions Club for over four years. Jon was an early supporter of environmental conservation; recycling at home since the early 1970s, participating in local highway and road clean-ups on “Rid-Litter Day”, and later serving on the Bethany Inland Wetlands Commission for six years. Prior to their move from Connecticut to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Jon and Lucy were awarded “Citizens of the Year” by the Democratic Town Committee in 2010 for their years of community service.

An avid tennis player; Jon played (and won) well into his 80’s. He was happiest when outdoors; he loved hiking, and punctuated his days in Cape Cod with walks of all lengths. Jon had a deep love of music, particularly classical works of Beethoven, Handel and Mozart. His rich voice made him a valued tenor with the Unitarian Universalist choir in Hamden, CT for many years. Both he and Lucy loved going to concerts together and music was always playing in the house.

Together, Jon and Lucy traveled both to visit family and to learn about different cultures. Memorable trips included ones to Thailand, France, and Prague. For many years they participated in the Elderhostel scholar tours and went on trips to various parts of the country, enjoying both local history and culture.

Jon and Lucy retired to Cape Cod in 2010. Both Jon and Lucy loved having family and friends visit to where they believed was the most beautiful place on earth. Beyond his immediate family, Jon is survived by his twin brother Joe, sister Charlotte, younger brother Jim and over 50 nieces and nephews.

A memorial service celebrating Jon’s life will take place at the Chapel in the Pines in Eastham Massachusetts on Saturday, October 22 at 10am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund at www.curealz.org.