John J. Fenton, 88, of Ridgefield, husband of Constance (Olsen) Fenton, died on Monday, December 25, 2023 at Regional Hospice of Western CT, Danbury.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place in St. Mary Church, Ridgefield, on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. There will be no calling hours.
Obituary
John Joseph Fenton, a longtime resident of Ridgefield, died peacefully on December 25, 2023, surrounded by family. John was the second of three children, born in Brooklyn, NY on September 21, 1935, to parents Timothy and Molly (née Mary Regan) Fenton, formerly of County Cork, Ireland.
John graduated from St John’s Prep in Brooklyn and St John’s University in Queens, and served in the Army Reserve. He had a long career as an advertising executive, first at DMB&B, and later at Y&R, managing global lines of business from Brussels and Hong Kong as well as Madison Avenue. He also spent countless hours as a dedicated volunteer, in particular for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, supporting research towards a cure for the disease that had taken two of his five children. He was a driving force in the creation of the Tony Fenton Bike Tour, named in memory of his youngest son, which grew to become one of Connecticut’s largest fundraisers for CF. After his retirement, he served as a guardian ad litem for the CT Department of Children and Families advocating tirelessly for children, finding voice and solutions for their needs. He was counted on as a great listener and for his sound advice no matter the situation, known for his insight and understated sense of humor. A thoughtful and engaged member of his community, he was proud of his Irish heritage and his Brooklyn roots and deeply committed in his Catholic faith.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 6th at 10:30am, at St Mary’s RC Church in Ridgefield.
Contributions in John’s memory may be made to the CF Foundation (www.cff.org) or the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association (www.rvnahealth.org)
Godspeed John, you are a fine man.