David Sherwood Huntington, Sr. died surrounded by family on June 4, 2026, at Rivermead Lifecare Community. He was born in Bridgeport, CT on August 4, 1925, and was the son of Catherine Bawden Huntington and David Hull Sherwood Huntington.

David married Joan D. Stewart on September 6, 1947 , and the couple resided in Fairfield CT until 2019. Both graduated from Roger Ludlow High School in 1943. They were blessed with two children, David (Woody) Huntington, Jr., and Sara Huntington LeFebvre.

After serving as an Ensign in the US Navy during WWII, David went on to attend Trinity College and Yale University, graduating in 1950 as a Civil Engineer, and joined his uncle, Andrew S. Huntington, in his engineering and land surveying company, the Huntington Company, becoming the firm’s president in 1963.

In 1959, David joined the Fairfield Rotary Club, became it’s president in 1964, and formed the Fairfield Rotary Club Foundation in 1965. Included in his many achievements, David was a founding member, vice president, treasurer, and director of the Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors, Inc., a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Congress of Surveying and Mapping. He was also a member of Fairfield RTM, a trustee of the Pequot Library Association, and served on the Council of Churches’ Board of Directors.

David’s personal life was as active and service oriented as his professional life. During his children’s growing up, he was coach, treasurer, and director of the Fairfield Little League. From 1963 until 1999, he and his wife Joan ran a very successful antiques business, an endeavor they both loved dearly. David was well known in the antiques world for his collection, and knowledge, of antique tools. In 1978, David and Joan purchased the Pixlee House, a 1701 saltbox, that was said to host George Washington, saving it from a scheduled demolition. They had the home dismantled, and faithfully restored it to it’s original condition in Southport ,CT.

With all of this, David made sure he kept up his tennis game at the Fairfield Beach Club, and always wowed the crowd at the Nutmeg Bowling Alley, staying competitive well into his eighties.

Perhaps the couple’s most enduring legacy was their 60+ year commitment to Southport Congregational Church, where David served as a deacon for three terms, chairing the board a number of times, and as chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee for most of their time there. His work on that committee included overseeing many crucial projects for the church, such as the Windows of Opportunity Capital Campaign, through to the completion of the stained glass restoration, the renovation of Fellowship Hall, and the engineering and installation of many systems within the church and parsonage, just to name a few. In 2011, David received the Life Member Award from the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. Both David and Joan devoted themselves tirelessly to the good of the church.

David is survived by his children, David S. Huntington, Jr. (wife, Christine), Sara H. LeFebvre (husband Richard), both residing in Hancock, NH, and his grandchildren, Emily H. Dexter, Samuel Huntington, John LeFebvre, David LeFebvre, Benjamin LeFebvre, and nine great grandchildren.

David was a faithful friend, a devoted husband, a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and a truly charitable man. A textbook example of the Greatest Generation, he led an inspiring life of service, and he will be deeply missed by his family and the many who loved him.

A memorial service will be held at Southport Congregational Church, 524 Pequot Ave., on July 23rd, at 11am. In lieu of flowers, contributions to The Fairfield Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 411, Fairfield, CT 06824 will be most welcome.