Richard (Dick) J. Sweetnam, Sr., a 43-year Westport resident, died July 29 at home. He was 80.
Richard J. Sweetnam, Sr.: ex-IBMer. Contributed photo
The husband of Evelyn Sweetnam was born April 3, 1935 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He graduated from St. Augustine’s High School in 1953, and Fordham University with a B.S. in 1958.
During his final year of undergraduate school, he was elected president of the Student Council for the Downtown School of Business. He attended Fordham’s Law School from which he graduated in 1965. He retired as a member of the Connecticut and New York state and federal bars
He and his family moved to Westport in 1972 from Huntsville, Alabama, where he had been counsel at IBM’s Space Systems Center.
At the time of his retirement in 1992, after 33 years of service with IBM, he was corporate counsel – Litigation.
He then became of counsel in the Stamford office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, an international law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, retiring from that position in 1995.
He was a member of St. Luke Catholic Church in Westport.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Susan Asetta, her husband Richard and grandson Charles of Newtown; and sons Richard, his wife Linda and grandson Kenneth of Boulder, Colorado; and, Robert of Westport. Another son, Kenneth, predeceased him in 1984. He is also survived by his brother William and his family of Freehold, New Jersey.
There will be no calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Monday, Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. at St. Luke Church, 49 Turkey Hill Road North. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Kenneth G. Sweetnam Memorial Scholarship, Providence College, Providence, RI 02819-0001, or Kenneth Sweetnam Memorial Award, Staples High School, 70 North Ave., Westport, CT 06881-5159.
The Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Road East, is assisting the family with the arrangements. To leave an on line condolence please visit http://www.harding funeral.com.
