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William Jerome Bellis (Bill), of Darien, CT, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2023, at the age of 92 surrounded by his family. He bravely fought lung cancer for over a year.
Bill was born on May 12, 1930, in New York, NY to the late William Bellis and Anne Gallagher Bellis. His parents were immigrants from Liverpool, England and Donegal, Ireland respectively. Bill graduated from Blessed Sacrament High School, in New Rochelle, NY, where he played on the basketball and baseball teams. He went on to earn a BA in History from Iona College in 1953. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955 training for the Korean War.
Bill married the late Norma De Rosa Bellis in 1958 in New Rochelle and later moved to Darien, CT in 1965 where they raised their family. He served on the Representative Town Meeting for three terms and as the Personnel Advisory Commissioner for the Town of Darien in the 1970s. Bill was an active member of the Darien Men’s Association and founded the Happy Wanderers who enjoyed many walking tours of NYC through the 1990s and early 2000s.
He worked for 28 years at Olin Corporation in Stamford, CT as a computer programmer and systems analyst. Bill was a dedicated mentor to many of his younger co-workers.
He enjoyed the NY Giants, golf, bowling, movies, cooking, long lunches and dinners of all cuisines, jokes, computers, and above all else – his family. Bill traveled extensively with Norma in retirement including trips to: Italy, Ireland, England, France, Greece, Egypt, China, and Israel. He also made a cameo appearance in the 2019 feature film: “The Climb.”
Bill will be remembered most by his family and friends as a good-natured, loyal, and dependable Father, Grandfather, and friend. Bill’s level-headedness, kindness, advice, humor, and generosity will always be valued.
He is survived by three children: Stephen and his wife Barbara Bellis of Shelton, CT, Sandra Bellis Graf and her fiancé Robert Moore of Rowayton, CT, Art and his wife Mary Bellis of Darien, CT; seven grandchildren: Michael and his wife Deanna Bellis, Matthew Bellis, Lindsay and her husband Joseph Druhan, Douglas and Cara Parks, Alison and Sarah Bellis; and two great-grandchildren: Clare and Grace Bellis. Bill’s older sister, Mary Bellis Keilly, passed away in 2020.
A visitation will be held on January 20th from 4:00 to 6:30PM at the Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 06820. Bill will be laid to rest at a private family ceremony at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bill’s memory to the American Cancer Society to help fund Cancer Research.
ChatGPT and the Adoption of AI Tools
Artificial Intelligence is having a moment: tools like Chat GPT and Dall-E have captured the public consciousness. While these tools are top of mind in conversation, AI is weaving itself into the very fabric of software. This webinar will cover:
- How to think about ChatGPT
- The current market state of AI tools
- How to evaluate the commercial viability of AI
- Where the technology is headed
About the Speaker
Whit Rothe worked at Insight Partners, a leading VC in B2B SaaS with $100B in AUM, where he advised 200+ portfolio companies to establish and scale the Marketing function. Over the past 4 years, he led marketing due diligence for over 50+ investments, totaling $2.0B+ in capital. He is a published expert in Product-Led Growth, Community-Led Growth, and Developer Marketing.
Prior to Insight, Whit led marketing programs for multiple SaaS technology companies, including Wunderkind, MAZ Systems and Neverware. A native New Yorker, Whit graduated cum laude with a BA from Hamilton College and with an MBA from NYU Stern.
Slides from the presentation: ChatGPT and the Adoption of AI Tools
Free Tax Return Preparation for DMA Members: DMA’s Pat Gentile, Charles Hurty and Bert von Stuelpnagel are involved with SimplifyCT, a non-profit corporation founded as a no cost, full-service, organization to prepare and file federal and state taxes. This group of more than 50 volunteers, under the auspices of the IRS has, for many years,
helped its clients to prepare and file tax returns via both on-site personal counseling and virtually through a secure internet site.
A couple of years ago, Pat Gentile has spoken at a DMA Wednesday morning meeting about the mission and accomplishments of this organization. During the most recent counseling year more than 1,100 returns were prepared and filed at the Darien Library alone with total refunds exceeding $1.6 million, more than 25% of which arose from
credits such as for Child Care, Education and Earned Income.
While this tax preparation service is focused on seniors and low-to-moderate income households, there are no limitations on either income or age. The service is offered free of charge to all DMA members, their families and most of those filing a regular 1040 return. All counselors are fully IRS-Certified volunteers…They will guide you professionally through the maze of the many tax law changes and the substantial government benefits which have recently become law, and will prepare your Federal and State tax returns “soup to nuts.”
Local on-site counseling will be available at the Darien Library on Mondays (1:00 pm – 7:00 pm), and Fridays and Saturdays (9:00 am – 4:00 pm) starting January 23, 2023 and ending April 18, 2023. There are also a large number of service hours at the New Canaan, Norwalk and South Norwalk Libraries, and at other locations.
Appointments are required and can be made by calling (860) 590-8910 or registering through SimplifyCT’s web site ( https://simplifyct.org/ ). The virtual option can also be accessed by these means.
For any questions, text DMA member Bert von Stuelpnagel at (203) 550 -8535 or
bvonstuelpnagel@yahoo.com .
Hiking: Monday, January 30, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.: Sherwood Island State Park, Sherwood Island Connector, Westport CT
We will be walking about 3 miles through Sherwood Island State Park on mostly hard and gravel paths. Very little up and down. We will meet in the Pavilion parking lot at 10:30 AM. The Park hugs the Sound shoreline and is often quite windy. Dogs are permitted on a leash and, as always, bring anyone with you who would enjoy a one hour plus walk in a beautiful setting. We will have an optional lunch after at The Little Barn restaurant in Westport.
HISTORY
Sherwood Island State Park is the oldest state park in Connecticut dating to 1914. The island itself was first settled by Daniel Sherwood in1787 where he built a grist mill. Over the next 70 years the land was farmed by many others but around 1860 the property became known as “Sherwood’s Island”.
After the Connecticut State Park Commission was formed in 1911 the search for suitable shorefront property to buy was on. The first piece of the existing park was purchased in 1914 making this the oldest state park. The park officially opened in 1932 but not until 1950 did the Army Corps of Engineers build the jetties and extend the beaches. The Pavilion opened in 1959 and a 911 Memorial was added in 2002.
DIRECTIONS
This one is easy! Take Exit 18 off I-95 (Sherwood Island connector) and turn right towards the Sound. The road goes directly into the park. Keep straight onto the wide roundabout and take the exit marked “Pavilion Parking”. We’ll meet at the front of that lot up towards the Pavilion.
Contacts:
Recap:
Well, the third time was certainly the charm for our “hike” today at Sherwood Island! After two postponements due to rain, a baker’s dozen DMAers and guests (plus two dogs) enjoyed sunny skies and mild temperatures as we walked a little over 3 miles in an hour and a half.
The initial portion of the hike took us along the beach west before turning inland onto a loop trail through a section of forest. The trail then turns north along a field with open views of the salt marsh and finally back south towards the beach. A moving 911 Memorial sits on a point of beach facing Ground Zero where we paused to reflect and take a group photo. The remainder of the hike was eastward along the beach until we turned and headed back to the parking lot.
Following the hike, seven of us enjoyed a lunch at The Little Barn in Westport.
For our February hike we are planning a walking tour of the South End of Stamford including Kosciusko Park. Details forthcoming.
Dave McCollum
David Macowan Sinclair, 94, passed away at his home in Darien, Connecticut, on December 15th, 2022.
Dave was born in Philadelphia in 1928. He grew up in Germantown, Pennsylvania, where he attended the Germantown Friends School. When his family moved to Riverside, Connecticut in 1941, he spent one year at The Riverside School and then went to The St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, Connecticut.
In 1950, Dave graduated with a B.A. in history from Amherst College and immediately began working for T.D. Helprin, Inc. in New York as a marine surveyor. This was the start of a fascinating fifty-year career with the same firm, of which he later became the sole owner and president. He loved his job, and it took him all over the world. As an independent hired by major insurance and shipping companies, he investigated and solved cases of how, where, when, and by whom multi-million-dollar shipments of goods were damaged, lost, or stolen. His loss examinations and findings formed the basis for thousands of major claim settlements. During the Korean War, Dave served for two years in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, California, and attained the rank of Sergeant. In 1957, he received his MBA in foreign trade from New York University.
Dave was a lifelong accomplished sailor, a respected offshore seaman, and a sought-after navigator. At an early age, he learned to sail while summering at Pocono Lake, Pennsylvania. His family joined the Riverside Yacht Club in 1941, where he entered the Jr. Sailing Program, and he later taught sailing at the Pequot Yacht Club. By the time he was eighteen, he had secured a spot in the afterguard aboard the yacht Niña with DeCoursey Fales. He participated in eleven Newport to Bermuda Races and numerous Vineyard, Annapolis, and Block Island Races on Niña, Walter Hanson’s Recluta, and on his brother-in-law Tony Widmann’s Freebooter. He considered himself fortunate to have sailed once on the fabled Ticonderoga, when she finished first in the memorable 1947 Halifax Race. At age sixteen, he was on board the winning Lightning at the 1944 North American Championships, and forty-two years later, he was a crew member on the winning boat at the 1986 Sonar North Americans. He joined the Cruising Club of America in 1956, and at the time of his passing, he was the second longest-standing active member.
In 1956, Dave married Susan Widmann. They first lived in Cos Cob, Connecticut, before relocating to Darien, Connecticut, in 1958. They soon joined Noroton Yacht Club and started racing sailboats together as an inseparable team in their Lightning, Tempest, J-24 and Sonar for the next forty years. They often cruised the New England Coast and the Virgin Islands by themselves and with their family. Sue and Dave had an extraordinary relationship. They were completely dedicated to the common interests and activities that they shared together and were supportive, respectful, and admiring of each other’s individual pursuits. They endured the loss of a 10-year-old son but managed somehow to channel their grief into nurturing and encouraging their own children, as well as supporting and mentoring other kids through their own personal endeavors and/or life challenges.
Dave was tirelessly dedicated to serving the sailing community and volunteering in his town and neighborhood. Among these efforts were co-founding the Darien Jr. Sailing Program, chairmanship of the Jr. Sailing Association of Long Island Sound, commodore of the Noroton Yacht Club, he was a certified US Sailing Judge and Senior Race Officer, a member of the US Sailing Appeals Committee of Long Island Sound, chairman of the US Sailing Area B Jr. Championships, founder and chairman of the Five Mile River Commission, treasurer and longtime board member of the Darien Nature Center, president of the Darien Historical Society, a board member and trustee of the Darien Land Trust, and he served on the Darien RTM and the Planning and Zoning Commission. He also consulted on the specifications and purchase of the Darien Fire Boat. Dave held many of these positions concurrently, and it is a testament to his commitment that he was able to manage it all while working and raising a family. The Darien Nature Center recently established the David Sinclair Volunteerism Award, which “is given annually to an individual in the community who embodies the volunteer spirit and commitment to the land, air, and waterways that Dave Sinclair has shown over his 25+ years of service to the Darien Nature Center.” In 1982, he received the prestigious Ned Anderson Award for his outstanding contributions to sailing on Long Island Sound.
He had an incredibly inquisitive mind and devoured books and publications covering all subject matters. Though history and the natural world were his primary interests, he knew an awful lot about most things and a little bit about everything else. Dave even jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at 12,000 ft. to skydive over Block Island on his 85th birthday to “get a different perspective.” But he will likely be remembered mostly for his grace, his calm demeanor, his thoughtful and sound decision-making, his moral courage, and for showing genuine interest in and kindness towards all those who he knew and met. A neighbor wrote after his passing, “This makes me sad. One of my greatest fears has always been that I will become a bitter old man. Dave was an example of the opposite of that. He serves as an inspiration to me as to how I want to be as my life progresses. He is truly a role model.”
Dave was predeceased by his wife, Susan Widmann Sinclair; a son, Timothy Biddle Sinclair; his parents, Mary Biddle and John Stephens Sinclair; sisters Polly Buck Krakora and Sylvia Carr Berking, and his brother, John Biddle Sinclair. He is survived by his son Craig and daughter Margot, his son-in-law Scott Mannka, and grandchildren Peter, Jason, Chris Mannka, and Lindy Sinclair.
He lived a long, meaningful, and regret-free life that impacted many people and many things. Dave is going to be greatly missed by his children, grandchildren, his amazing extended family, and scores of wonderful, caring friends and neighbors. Details regarding a gathering to pay him tribute will be announced this Spring.
To help preserve and protect the place he loved most, his family asks that you consider making a donation in his memory to The Block Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 84, 234 Weldon’s Way, Block Island, RI 02807 https://biconservancy.org
“Kissinger analyses the lives of six…leaders through the distinctive strategies of statecraft, which he believes they embodied. After the Second World War, Konrad Adenauer brought defeated and morally bankrupt Germany back into the community of nations by what Kissinger calls ‘the strategy of humility.’ Charles de Gaulle set France beside the victorious Allies and renewed its historic grandeur by ‘the strategy of will.’ During the Cold War, Richard Nixon gave geostrategic advantage to the United States by ‘the strategy of equilibrium.’ After twenty-five years of conflict, Anwar Sadat brought a vision of peace to the Middle East by a ‘strategy of transcendence.’ Against the odds, Lee Kuan Yew created a powerhouse city-state, Singapore, by ‘the strategy of excellence.’ And, though Britain was known as ‘the sick man of Europe’ when Margaret Thatcher came to power, she renewed her country’s morale and international position by ‘the strategy of conviction.'” —
Structural engineer Jon Magnusson will speak with our group about the people, airplanes, and the buildings of the WTC attack. At the time of the attack, Jon was the Chairman and CEO of Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire, a Seattle-based structural engineering firm that is a successor to the firm that performed the structural engineering for the WTC in the 1960’s. An expert in high-rise buildings, he served on the American Society of Civil Engineers/Federal Emergency Management Agency Building Performance Assessment Team that studied the event in the months immediately following the attack. Knowledge of the structure of the towers may help people to understand the ultimate events of that day.
While it is not possible to articulate the depth of emotion at the human loss, there may be insights not commonly reported as to exactly what happened from a physical, and physics, standpoint. Why did the towers fall? What are the right questions for society to ask? What are the implications for the future of high-rise buildings?
Jon is Senior Principal at Magnusson Klemencic Associates (the next generation successor to the WTC firm). MKA has completed projects in 48 states and 61 countries out of their Seattle office. Jon has delivered more than 300 invited lectures to groups ranging from highly technical university-level to the general public. He has also participated in more than 120 media interviews covering engineering topics – including ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings, Discovery Channel, BBC, NPR, History Channel, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Good Morning America, NBC News, and CBS News with Dan Rather. He is an Honorary Member of the national American Institute of Architects, a Distinguished Member of American Society of Civil Engineers, and a member of the both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Construction.
Steve Roach will discuss the evolving relationship between the United States and the Peoples Republic of China. He is a senior fellow at Yale’s Jackson Institute of Global Affairs and has authored the recently published book entitled Accidental Conflict – America, China and the Class of False Narratives.
Steve formerly was chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and the firm’s chief economist for the bulk of his 30-year career at Morgan Stanley, heading up a highly regarded team of economists around the world and focusing on the impact of Asia on the broader global economy. Steve has also served on the research staff of the Federal Reserve Board and was a research fellow at the Brookings Institution. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from New York University.
Steve is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Investment Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the China Advisory Board of the Environmental Defense Fund and the Economics Advisory Board of the University of Wisconsin.
In his new book, Accidental Conflict, Steve finds the two largest world economies in a clash of dueling and incorrect narratives that each holds about the other. Not so long ago, the U.S. and China needed each other to prop up their own flagging economies—China required external demand to support its “export-led” development strategy, while Americans relied on low-cost goods from China—but in recent years, they have undergone a trade war and a tech war. Now they face a new cold war. Both countries constantly seek economic growth, but they both have a savings problem: the Chinese have excessively high savings and low internal consumption, while Americans have little savings and high debt. In illustrating his theme of codependency, Steve breaks down the reasons behind this disparity, fed by the different “national dreams” of the two countries and the persistent “false narratives” they entertain about each other. Harkening back to the mid-1980s, U.S. officials have, for purposes of “political expediency,” often blamed China for many economic problems in the form of intellectual theft, predatory tech practices, and cyber-hacking.
The author stresses that many of these issues are overblown, and he suggests three areas of focus for conflict resolution: climate change, global health, and cybersecurity. He also suggests “re-opening foreign consulates in both countries…loosening visa restrictions for students and journalists, and restarting educational exchanges like the U.S. Fulbright Program.”
Finally, Steve delivers a thoughtful framework for moving from codependency to interdependency, involving a bilateral investment treaty and the establishment of a U.S. – China Secretariat. He concludes that “there is ample opportunity to exercise good faith.”
Mark Albertson, who is well known to DMA members as an entertaining and informative speaker and historian, will talk about the current Russo-Ukrainian War, a conflict that goes beyond the parochial confines of Putin seeking a greater Russia. It is round 3,855 in a progression that started in 1763 and is often called “The Great Game.” Today, the Great Game features the United States, Europe, Russia, China, India, and Japan.
The chessboard is the Eurasian landmass, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America. For these areas are where critical resources are to be found and mined: oil, gas, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, iron ore, manganese, titanium, lithium, etc. It is this ongoing quest for resources, financial domination, and political primacy that continues to fuel conflict in the region.