North Canaan mourns loss of three community leaders

NORTH CANAAN – Town officials paid tribute last week to three longtime residents who have died recently, remembering their decades of civic engagement that left a mark on the community.

Over the course of the last month, North Canaan has lost Peter Brown, Bill Hower and Nick Gandolfo, all of whom dedicated years of service to local boards, organizations and community efforts.

“We all in the Town of North Canaan are grieving the loss of many people,” First Selectman Jesse Bunce wrote on the town Facebook page, referring to the three men.

Brown, who died at age 70, served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for nearly 25 years, including more than two decades as vice chairman. Bunce said Brown also operated Lone Oak Campsites with his brother, Barry, and was known for supporting charitable causes, including motorcycle fundraising rides and other community events.

Brown, as a child, grew up on a farm in East Canaan that his parents converted into what became Lone Oak Campsites. In the 1990s, he and Barry purchased the campground from their parents. The campground was sold in 2024.

“Very seldom do you find a person that pretty much everybody in town loved,” Bunce said in an interview. “Peter’s one of those guys.”

Meanwhile, Hower, who was 66-years-old at the time of his death, was involved in North Canaan’s economic development efforts for roughly 25 years. He was a longtime local business person, who worked in the automotive industry, primarily through his family business, Jim’s Garage.

According to Bunce, Hower had recently approached town officials about helping boost the local economy.

“He was a great asset to the town,” Bunce said.

Also remembered was Gandolfo, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, who was a familiar presence at Memorial Day ceremonies and veterans events. He served in Korea from 1952 to 1953 and participated in several battles and combat operations.

Bunce said Gandolfo, who died at the age of 94, served on multiple town boards and committees, participated in Boy Scout activities and remained active in community affairs throughout his life.

In announcing Gandolfo’s death, Bunce noted that he was among the town’s last remaining veterans from before the Vietnam War era and had become a fixture of North Canaan’s Memorial Day parade.

“There are few, if any, in North Canaan who don’t have a memory of him,” Bunce wrote. “His dedication, kindness and unwavering commitment to this town will not be forgotten.”

Bunce said each of the men contributed to North Canaan in different ways, but all shared a commitment to bettering the town.

“As our community continues to face a number of recent losses, now is a time for us to come together — to support one another, to share our memories and to honor the remarkable lives of those who paved the path before us,” he said.