Edward Kuchta

He was a devoted husband and father who loved golf, tennis, bocce and travel and was guided by his strong Catholic faith. For more than 25 years Ed worked as a sales agent for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He later worked for the Southington Chapter of the American Red Cross. Ed was a longtime lector at Saint Thomas Catholic Church in Southington and volunteered in town in many capacities.

Edward Kuchta was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on January 11, 1927 to John and Victoria Kuchta, and lived on West Center Street, Parkview Drive, Meriden Avenue, Spring Lake Village and, most recently, The Orchards on Hobart Street. Following graduation from Lewis High School in Southington in 1944, he worked at the Phoenix Mutual Insurance Company in Hartford before joining Met Life. He met Adeline Maher of Bristol at Lake Compounce in the late 1940s. She asked a group of young people if anyone had a stick of gum; he offered to split his last piece with her. The two were married in Forestville on May 20, 1950.

Ed was the quiet rock of his family, nicknamed “Steady Eddy” for his gentle demeanor, reliability even during tough times and solid beliefs. He enjoyed hiking with his family in the hills surrounding Southington. Two topics of conversation always made him smile: talk of his children and grandchildren, and the UConn women’s basketball team, which he followed for decades.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Adeline (Maher) Kuchta; by his six children and their spouses, Robert Kuchta and Storm Matthies Kuchta of Madison; Nancy Sayre and Christopher Sayre of Denver, Colorado; Janet deWilde and Hamish deWilde of Loudon, Tennessee; David Kuchta and Jennifer Tuttle of Portland, Maine; Lynn Van Winkle and Peter Van Winkle of Fairfield; and Michael Kuchta and Karen Weintraub of Cambridge, Massachusetts; and by eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Ed was predeceased by his siblings John Kuchta, Francis Kuchta and Ethel Bracha.

A memorial service will be held when it is once again possible to gather in groups. The DellaVecchia Funeral Home in Southington has been entrusted with the arrangements. Donations may be made in his memory to the Kuchta Family Scholarship Fund, c/o Robert Kuchta, 85 New Road, Madison, CT 06443. The scholarship fund has been established to aid Southington High School graduates planning to attend college.