Stephen J. Loomis Sr.

Stephen Joseph Loomis Sr. passed away on October 10, 2013 with his family by his side. Mr. Loomis was born November 16, 1934 in New Haven, CT and lived in Orange and West Haven, CT until his retirement to Florida in 2010. He was married to his childhood sweetheart, Shirley Trask Loomis for 56 years. He attended Mary L. Tracy, Hillhouse, and graduated from UCONN with a Masters degree in Forestry. He graduated the Coastguard Officer Candidate School in 1957 and served 5 years and left as Lt. Commander, and he entered the Army Reserves in 1975 and retired a Major in 1998. Mr. Loomis owned and operated E.G. Loomis & Son Inc. in Orange until 1989. He worked for Connecticut Central Railroad until 1998. He also worked for Railroad Salvage and BDN Landscaping before going to work for Mirror Polishing & Plating Company Inc. in Waterbury from 1998 until his retirement in December of 2010. He owned and operated Loomis Bus Company for Amity Regional bus system. While in Florida, Mr. Loomis worked 5 seasons for the Houston Astros Spring Training Facility as a security guard in Osceola, FL. Mr. Loomis was a 56 year member of Wooster Lodge #79 Masonic Order and served as Worshipful Master twice, and was a member of the National Sojourners. He was a past Patron of Mystic Chapter #20 OES and was a 50+ member of Orange Congregational Church of Orange. He was a retired member of the Orange Volunteer Fire Dept, and was a life member of Connecticut Valley Railroad Museum. Mr. Loomis was also an avid Stamp and Coin Collector and enjoyed model railroads and anything railroad related. He was the son of Ernest Gilman Loomis and Hazel Putnam and is survived by his wife Shirley, his children Debra Francisco (Randy), Penny Nalband (Gary), Shirley Jean Nielsen (Brent), and David Loomis (Robert Webb), as well as eight grandchildren, Christina Thompson, James Francisco, Joseph Francisco, Emily Nalband, Ernest Nalband, Stephen Nalband, Katherine Busk and Jeffrey Nielsen and three great grandchildren, Matthew Francisco, Joshua Provo and Mason Busk. He is predeceased by a son, Stephen J. Loomis Jr. Friends may visit with Mr. Loomis' family on Tuesday, October 15th from 6 to 9:00 p.m. at BEECHER & BENNETT- TAYLOR FUNERAL HOME, 410 Campbell Ave., West Haven, CT. A Funeral Service will take place on Wednesday the 16th at 10 a.m. in the Orange Congregational Church, 205 Meetinghouse Ln., Orange, followed by a burial with Military Honors in Orange Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to VITAS Community Connection, a community of Hospice caregivers who lovingly cared for Mr. Loomis. Please make donations online: www.vitascommunityconnection.org or mail a donation to: VITAS Community Connection c/o VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, 2201 Lucien Way, Suite 100, Maitland, FL 32751. Please make checks payable to VITAS Community Connection.