Terry Sinclair

Terry Frederic Sinclair, 92, of East Haven, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Born on November 28, 1933, in Buffalo, New York, he spent his youth there and remained a proud native of the city throughout his life.

Terry graduated from Bennett High School in 1951, where he met his high school sweetheart, Lillian Genner. The couple was married in May 1953, beginning a beautiful and deeply devoted union that flourished for 60 years until Lillian’s passing in 2013. Terry pursued his early education at the Erie County Technical Institute, earning an Associate of Science degree in 1953. Driven by a lifelong passion for learning, he later attended the University of Buffalo, graduating in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Mathematics.

His professional journey was marked by intellect, versatility, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Terry began his career as a chemist for Union Carbide, working there from 1953 to 1964. He then relocated his family to Michigan City, Indiana, where he applied his analytical skills to publishing as an editor for Industrial Research magazine. In 1972, Terry moved to Monroe, Connecticut, where he partnered with his brother, Mike, to form Five Company, a public relations and marketing firm serving the scientific community. Anticipating the critical growth of renewable energy, he also founded and published Solar Times, a pioneering periodical dedicated to the emerging solar industry. Terry later relocated to Madison, Connecticut, in 1987, where he lived until his retirement in 1998, and remained there for three years following the passing of his beloved wife in 2013.

Following his time in Madison, Terry resided in the Redding and Bethel areas and subsequently in Trumbull, living with his daughter, Maureen, before moving to East Haven for his final year. A voracious reader and a true lifetime learner, Terry possessed a sharp mind and a vibrant creative spark. He was an amateur cartoonist in his spare time, a hobby that beautifully evolved in his later years into digital graphic design. He delighted in using his Apple computer to craft custom comic stories and humorous personal greeting cards, leaving behind a treasure trove of laughter and memories for his family.

Terry was preceded in death by his cherished wife, Lillian Genner Sinclair, and his son-in-law, Jon R. Cristofori.

He is survived by his devoted brother, P. Michael Sinclair; his beloved sister-in-law, Lois McMillan; his five children, Kathleen Sinclair Cristofori, Maureen Sinclair, Carolyn Sinclair Bartell (Steven), Mark F. Sinclair (Laura), and Bridgett Sinclair O’Connor (David); fifteen grandchildren, Benjamin, Evan, Max, Taryn, Jesse, Kaitlin, Christopher, Elizabeth, Rachel, Sarah, Allison, Ben, Courtney, Megan, and Sean; and twenty-five precious great-grandchildren. His legacy of curiosity, creativity, and unconditional love will live on through them.