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The spirit of David K. Leff endures at Memorial Service


Hundreds came out to The Green in Collinsville May 31 to memorialize the late David K. Leff. Photo by Tom Cameron.

By John Fitts

Staff Writer


Many who gathered outdoors on one of Collinsville’s most stately streets the evening of May 31 to memorialize the late David K. Leff said they felt his spirit present.

The late David K. Leff. Photo courtesy of Linda Smith.

So perhaps the American Bald Eagle that soared over The Green – as Jay Kaplan spoke of Leff’s love for the natural world and so much more – was no mere coincidence.

There were many tributes that evening to Leff, who died very unexpectedly just a few days earlier at age 67.

As hundreds gathered on The Green’s acute angles and expansive lawns for his Memorial service, the town of Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department’s Engine 3 and its volunteers served as bookends to the small lane where Leff made his home for close to 40 years.

Poets, musicians, naturalists, colleagues, firefighters and spiritual guides paid tribute and offered a glimpse of the man who during his life and despite increasingly debilitating back and neck pain, had served as Deputy Commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, Canton Town Historian, Canton Poet laureate, Chairman of the Collinsville Historic District Commission, published author and poet, director of Audubon Connecticut, safety officer for the town of Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department and so much more.

“David was born to public service,” said Dick Barlow, the former Canton first selectman and retired Chief of Waste Management Bureau at DEP who served as Leff’s colleague for decades.

Barlow spoke to many of Leff’s aforementioned roles, his way with words; ability to listen and be kind, but forthright and knowledgeable with his opinions; and his skill at guiding public meetings.

Photos of David K. Leff, along with his helmet from years of service as safety officer for the Town of Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department.

“I think town moderator may have been his best public service role as he had the opportunity to show his many skills as a respected resident who was an honest, impartial facilitator trusted by all our citizens,” Barlow said.

Barlow also spoke to Leff’s love of Collinsville and alluded to just one of the many ways Leff brought that to life.

“David was an accomplished author, poet and playwright. His subjects reflected his interests – the environment, outdoors, history and, of course, Collinsville.

One of the highlights of Christmas in Collinsville was a horse carriage ride with David as he guided you dressed in period clothes. He was also a lecturer for the Canton Historical Museum. He loved gardening and who else would have maple sugared at 4 The Green?”

Wayne Goeben, past chief of the Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS, spoke to Leff’s crucial role in the department.

In his remarks, Goeben incorporated information from Leff’s first book, “The Last Undiscovered Place,” which speaks to finding the complex richness of life in one’s own backyard.

Goeben noted how in it, Leff described ‘the bravest act of all is volunteering itself.”

He went on to tell how Leff, in the book, recounts sitting with a friend watching the annual jamboree fireworks. It sparked his interested in joining the fire service but the night he went to the Collinsville station to express that desire, he was asked to return later as members were mourning the July 12, 1987, line of duty death of the late Arthur Vincent.

“So, David went back and that was when he had his first glimpse that the department was as much a family as an organization dedicated to life and preservation of property,” Goeben said. “When a new member comes to the department, there are all sorts of reasons. Some have family ties, or they’re planning a career and want some experience. David had none of that. He simply came to help.

We never know if a new member is there for a day, a month or a lifetime. David was there for a lifetime.”

Firefighters, many of whom served with David K. Leff on the town of Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department, stand in tribute at his memorial service. Seen in background is Leff's home.

Leff served a crucial role in the department, Goeben said, at a time where safety was highly visible and rapidly changing. Leff stepped down from the role in 2013 but continued to serve, making sure that crucial hydrant on his own front lawn – tied to a 48-inch water main – was always ready to go. Leff also came up with the Department’s slogan of “Valuing life at a moment’s notice.”

“We’ll never know how many injuries or deaths were prevented from David’s intervention, but I know our members were safer because he was there. … They say it takes a village to raise a child and they’re right, but it takes people to make up a village. David was a champion of our Village, and to all of our residents. I know my life, my family’s lives, your lives and our town are much the better for having had him in it.”

Kaplan, who is director at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, spoke to many aspects of Leff’s life, including their similar backgrounds, love for family gatherings, and gardening. Kaplan shared how Leff's passion for the natural world and music led him to help park cars for the center’s 40-year concert series. Leff would also accompany Kaplan on annual, pre- 6 a.m. trips to the Hartford landfill to census grassland birds.


Members of David K. Leff's family listen to one of the speakers at the service.

“Wayne Goeben said something interesting about the fire department being a family and one thing about David, he had lots of families and the number of people here tonight is a testament to how much he meant in so many different areas of life, whether it be poetry, or maple sugaring or nature or history,” Kaplan said. “He was very much a renaissance man who I am proud to call a good friend for over 30 years.”

Many poets also participated in the service, which also featured readings of Leff’s own verse. Past state poet laureate and publisher Rennie McQuilkin, past Canton Poet Laureate Joan Hoffman and current state poet laureate Margaret Gibson all shared their experiences and read works.

“He and I shared many things,” Hoffman said. “We love words; we love literature. We love the wild world, the natural world, share a concern for our environment. We love this town. We love this river and so, I’ve chosen to read a poem ‘Ode to the Farmington River.’”

Margaret Gibson told how Leff’s name quickly surfaced when she was looking for someone to help with her mission.

“When I became poet laureate of Connecticut three years ago, I knew that I wanted to make the natural world and the human world, which is part of it, and environmental crisis and global climate crisis, the theme of my laureateship. I was looking for partners and someone to help and someone said do you know David Leff?”

The two had lunch, talked for hours and became fast friends. Leff even organized an Earth Day Celebration at White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield and a panel for another program at real Art Ways in Hartford.

She recalled a humorous walk in the woods for a publicity video.

“He even helped push me up a very tall rock so I could sit with a book of poems looking like probably an idiot - but a poet who loved the natural world. That’s kind of typical,” she said. “David was always pushing me up.”

Leff was well known as a disciple of “deep travel” and keen observation.

His sister Elizabeth talked about the notepads he carried everywhere.

“The notepads were an appendage, always with him,” she said. “The notepads contain all of his thoughts and observations as he walked or read, observations of everyday things, trees, rocks, turtles – items that most of us walk right by without another thought. He called them ‘marvels hidden in plain sight,’” she said.

Elizabeth also shared a story how she and her husband Mark, her brother and his wife Mary C. Fletcher and friends Julie and Marsha went to Belize several years ago. Her brother was absolutely fascinated by creatures known as leafcutter ants. She also shared that upon their return, they received an email from David Leff listing the 40 different types of birds – “roughly in order” the group had spotted on their walk in the rainforest. He wrote, “If I missed anything, please let me know.”

“This email brought chortles of laughter and amazement as no one else knew we had even [seen] 40 different types of birds, never mind what type they were,” she said.

She also shared stories of their childhood, including the time she dropped an orange peel on the ground during a hike in the woods when David was in high school.

“David admonished me and told me to pick it up,” she said. “I countered that it was biodegradable. David responded ‘so are you, but I would not drop your parts here,’ a response I will never forget.”


Bruce Pratt and Stan Sullivan sing a song for their friend, the late David K. Leff. Sullivan ran the acclaimed concert series at Roaring Brook Nature Center, for which Leff volunteered extensively. Pratt, a musician and teacher and former resident knew Leff in many capacities. Pratt continues to include Leff's poems in his classes at the University of Maine.

Elizabeth Leff also shared her brother’s pride in negotiating a land deal to preserve 15,000 acres of land known as the Centennial Watershed State Forest (a 2002 partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Aquarion Water Company).

Later, Attorney Mark Branse, who originally met David Leff in 1976 at the University of Connecticut School of Law, also spoke to Leff’s pride in his open space accomplishments, which included convincing John G. Rowland to carry out a plan that involved, over 10 years, open space spending of some $214 million, a number greatly leveraged by willing sellers, below-market sales, and an array of public and private partnerships.

Branse also spoke of a theme in Leff’s collective work.

“I think of this one thread that wove its way through all of David’s writing and his work and really his view of the world,” he said. “It was his fascination with the intricate relationship between the physical environment and the history and growth of humankind. David’s work at DEP and his writings explored how humankind responded to and in turned was shaped by the physical environment. Sometimes we change the environment for better, sometimes for the worse, but David felt that that relationship, that way that the land shaped us, and we shaped the land was an essential thing that we have to understand. David did not see this as a tug of war. He did not see it as man against nature as you often hear it portrayed. For him it was more like a pas de duex, a ballet, a dance, that we could live in harmony, that we could find that balance of the physical environment and the needs of the human race, that we could respect each other’s gifts and honor each other’s needs and you see that, I think, in all of his work.”

Leff's daughter, Tiki Leff Diliberto, offered some personal insight about her father as she wore one of his "dorky" ties.

"My dad was a rare breed, a breed of impeccable design, never judgmental of my independent spirit, and friend to all who crossed his path," she said. "I can only hope I am of the same breed. My father was an incredible man of incredible design and God willing we’ll all meet again in Spaceballs 2 – the Search for More Money."

Leff’s son Josh also spoke at the event, thanking attendees and also emphasizing the depth of his father’s life, family adventures and his embrace of so many people.

Josh Leff talks about his father's many interests and zest for life.

“My father was a man who lived a life greater than any of us could individually understand,” he said. “As a student he was introduced to Emerson and from thereafter he was completely driven to explore the world around him.

He was a writer, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut department of Environmental Protection, volunteer firefighter, lawyer, historian, naturalist, father, husband, brother and friend. There was no limit to the hats that he wore or hat. By the way, he had a lot of hats. He lived life to the fullest. As Mel Brooks might put it, he lived at ludicrous speed. No amount of time was left untapped. He constantly wrote, read, walked, hiked and adored the opportunity to share his thoughts with anyone interested. My father had limitless friends. He went to minor league baseball games with Alan Weiner, birding with Jay Kaplan, hiking with friends from his work from the state, went to lunch with his law school buddies, visited neighbors, and chatted with so many other poets. No matter what he was doing. David Leff was always prepared to befriend new people. He would talk, listen, and offer his help to those he did not even know. He believed in the value of each person and showed that to us all. He was always seen about town on the trail, or the library, in so many establishments in Collinsville. This place meant everything to my father. While he wouldn’t say himself, I will say it now, the man was a townie.”


Fletcher, who also read one of Leff’s poems, expressed amazement at the evening’s turnout.

“Thank you for all being here to celebrate David's life,” she said. “He would have

Mary C. Fletcher, accompanied by her daughter Ariel Prechtl, reads a poem penned by her late husband, David K. Leff.

loved this. He would have loved to have been here with you today. I believe he is here hovering over us now, smiling before he travels on. He was a deep traveler who is departing on his last journey.”


Editor's Note: We plan to expand this story for a future issue of Valley LIFE. See more photos here.

As noted on the town of Canton Facebook page: In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in David’s name to one of the following non-profit organizations:

• Roaring Brook Nature Center, roaringbrook.org, 70 Gracey Road, Canton, CT 06019

• Collinsville Historical Society, cantonmuseum.org, 11 Front Street, Collinsville, CT 06019

• Gallery on the Green, galleryonthegreen.org, 5 Canton Green Road, Canton, CT 06019

• Collinsville Volunteer Fire Department, 51 River Rd, Canton, CT 06019

• Audubon Connecticut, audubon.org, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT 06831 (note: this is the CT Chapter for National Audubon, not the CT Audubon Society)













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Valley Happenings

Fighting Cancer Pasta Dinner:

Benefit for Avon Volunteer Fire Department

Deputy Chief Dave Theriault

Saturday, February 22, 2025, 3:00-7:00 p.m. 

Avon Senior Center, 635 West Avon Road, Avon

AVFD Deputy Chief of Administration Dave Theriault is facing a tough battle against Stage 4 cancer. The AVFD, along with Tunxis Hose Co. No. 1 and the Farmington Fire Department, is holding a pasta dinner to help raise money for Chief Theriault’s medical expenses. In addition to delicious food, drinks, and camaraderie, the event will feature dozens of raffle prizes. Event tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and children under 10 years old. They can be purchased at the door or in advance at AVFD Headquarters, 25 Darling Drive, Avon (Mondays, 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Tuesdays-Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). Contributions can be made via Venmo @supportDave or by mail to the AVFD at 25 Darling Drive, Avon, CT 06001. 

Canton Community Health Fund Applications

Canton Community Health Fund, Inc. Opens 2025 Application Season, on March 1, 2025, for Canton Community Partner Grants & Canton Scholars Pursuing Careers in Healthcare or Public Safety Canton Community Health Fund, Inc. (CCHF), opens its grant and scholarship application season March 1. CCHF encourages State of CT certified non-profits serving the Canton community to apply for Community Partner grants. In addition, graduating high school seniors seeking higher education in healthcare or public safety are invited to apply for either a Dr. Diters Legacy Scholarship or a Pay It Forward Scholarship. Applications and informative Fact Sheets are available online at www.cantoncommunityhealthfund.org.  Community Partner Grant and Scholarship awards will be announced in June/2025.

 

Avon Library events

AVON –The following events are scheduled at Avon Free Public Library. The library is at Avon Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon. All programs are in person except where noted. For more information on adult programs, contact Adult Services Reference Desk via avonref@avonctlibrary.info 860-673-9712 x 7203

• Antique Map Collecting 101, Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. Registration is required: https://www.avonctlibrary.info/event/antique-map-collecting/

• Morning Book Club. Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10:30 a.m., The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose, Registration is required: https://www.avonctlibrary.info/events/tag/morning-book-club/

• Meditation for Balance and Inner Contentment. (Virtual Event) Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 pm.

• Eastern Coyotes in Connecticut (Virtual Event) Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

• Fashion and the First Lady (Virtual Event). Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.

• Hoop Skirts to Flappers: Eighty Years of Connecticut Fashion. Monday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.

• The Golden Age of Hollywood. (Virtual Event) Tuesday, March 4 at 2 pm.

 

Simsbury Lions Club

The Simsbury Lions Club is looking for people interested in volunteering and contributing to better our town. Our motto is “We serve,” and we do so by volunteering at local events and donating our proceeds to serving interests in our community.

If interested, please feel free to contact Sandy Kremer at Tprkremer@gmail.com or Philip Painchaud at painchaudp@gmail.com.”

 

Winter sowing workshop

The Farmington Land trust is hosting a winter sowing workshop focused on raising native plants. Make your own up-cycled greenhouse from a milk jug and prep some beneficial native plants for the coming growing season. Sunday, Feb 2 from 11a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Farmington Senior Center. RSVP here: https://www.farmingtonlandtrust.org/event-details/winter-sowing-seminar-native-seed-planting

 

Wild Flowers from Spring to Fall

CANTON – The Cherry Brook Garden Club is hosting a lecture on “Following Our Wild Flowers from Spring to Fall” on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. at the Canton Community Center, lower level, 40 Dyer Avenue. Steve Messier, Lichenologist and former Science teacher at Canton High School will discuss the topic. The lecture is open to the public. There is a $5 guest fee for non-members. Email questions to cherrybrookgardenclub@gmail.com.

 

‘Five Wishes’ at McLean

SIMSBURY – Join Kevin Baran, M.D., medical director, and the McLean Hospice Team for a special “McLean & Me Educational Series” presentation to learn how to talk about and record your wishes for care through the end of life, so those wishes can be understood and respected. The presentation will be held at McLean’s Garmany Performing Arts Center, 50 Sarah Lane, Simsbury, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. The presentation is free but an RSVP by Feb. 4 is required as seating is limited. A light dinner will be provided.

To register, visit McLeanCare.org/Events, email Margaret.Clark@McLeanCare.org, or call 860-658-3718.

 

‘Art Throb!’ Exhibit

Gallery on the Green presents “Art Throb!” Exhibit plus a Solo Exhibit by Kathi Packer Friday, Feb. 14 through Saturday, March 15. An opening reception is on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 6-8 p.m. and will include refreshments. The show and reception are free.

“Art Throb!” is a heartfelt Valentine’s Day celebration presented by the membership of Canton Artists’ Guild. The artists use a wide range of media including painting, prints, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics and mixed media to represent the emotional intensity, joy and complexity of love.

In the upstairs Gallery, Kathi Packer has a solo show, “Another Tale.”  Packer notes that a friend’s casual invitation to go on safari in 2008 substantially changed the direction of her artistic journey.The gallery is located near the intersection of Dowd Avenue and Route 44 at 5 Canton Green Road in Canton. Hours are Friday – Sunday, 1-5 pm. The main floor gallery is handicapped accessible.

Website: http://www.galleryonthegreen.org; Phone:  860-693-4102

 

TABLESCAPES fundraiser returns to benefit the new

Avon History Museum

AVON – The Avon Historical Society invites the public to its sixth TABLESCAPES event showcasing up to 30 creative and original table settings on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15 at the historic North House, 1 Nod Road, Avon.

This event will feature themed table settings from local professional designers, florists, businesses, individuals, artists and others featuring fresh floral arrangements, centerpieces and accessories. Proceeds will benefit the installation of professionally curated exhibits in the new Avon History Museum scheduled to open on Friday, July 4, 2025.

Back by popular demand will be a “Table and Barware Tag Sale” on both days. Admission to TABLESCAPES includes the tag sale. Tickets are $20 each pre-sale and at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at www.avonhistoricalsociety.org or by calling Mary Harrop at 860-670-3225 before March 8.

Those interested in sponsorship opportunities can also call Harrop.

 

Alzheimer’s Support Group

FARMINGTON – Hearts, Hugs & Hope: An Alzheimer’s Support Group takes place Feb. 20, 2025, 6 p.m. at Farmington Station Assisted Living and Memory Care Community, 111 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington. Dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia isn’t easy, so it is helpful to share your concerns and personal experiences with others who completely understand what you’re going through. You will also learn about proven strategies to help you better care for your family member. This group is being offered both in person and via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month. If you plan to attend, contact Director of Compass Programming Katherine Jedynasty at kjedynasty@farmingtonslr.com.

 

Used book sale

AVON - A huge book sale will be held Feb. 28 and March 1 in St. Ann’s Church Hall, 289 Arch Road at Route 167.  Hours are Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ($5 adult admission) and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (no admission fee).

Thousands of books will be organized in separate sections, including Fiction, History, Biography, Politics, Children, Music, Cooking, Sports, Art, Vintage, and more!  A large selection of Children’s books will be available.  Fiction books will be divided by hardcover, paperback, and trade paperback and sorted alphabetically by author.  DVDs, CDs, books on CDs, Vinyl records, and puzzles will be available, also.  Most books will be $3 or less with vintage and specialty books priced higher.

 

Daisy Days: All-Girls Summer Day Camp Experience

FARMINGTON – Miss Porter’s School, a renowned institution with a legacy of empowering young women, is excited to announce the launch of Daisy Days, an all-new day camp for girls entering grades 3-5 this fall. Starting this summer, Daisy Days will offer a unique, joy-filled experience designed to spark creativity, build confidence, and inspire self-discovery in an empowering all-girls environment.

For additional details, visit pcgl.porters.org/daisy-days.

 

Artist demonstration

Avon Arts Association will hold a guest artist demonstration featuring  Granby artist Laura Eden on Tuesday, February 18 at  Avon Town Hall, 60 W. Main St., lower level, at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Eden will demonstrate egg tempera painting.

The demo is free and open to the public ($5 suggested donation). A workshop with Ms. Eden will be held at the same location in the Avon Room on Saturday, Feb. 22, 10-2 with  set up at 9:30. Fee: $45 for members, $55 for nonmembers). www.AvonArts.org

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