 Pat Stoddard and her granddaughter Allison. | It was the green grass and the solid education that drew Pat and Hud Stoddard to New Canaan in 1956. It was the community they found that kept them here for the 64 years since. Where else could they go to a cocktail party and come home with a pony? Patchy the spotted pony settled in on Sunset Hill Road where the Stoddards put down roots. |  Hud Stoddard and his daughter Jane. |
 Carrie Deane Corcoran photographed with her husband John and their children Peter and Chris. Carrie Deane Corcoran loves traditions. She grew up in New Canaan and every nook in town gives way to a fond memory: The May Fair in Spring, the slide at Putnam Shoes in Summer, cider and donuts at Fairty’s Orchard in Fall, caroling on God’s Acre and sledding down Benedict Hill in Winter. A special treat for her and brother Peter Deane, was when their dad treated them to breakfast at The Elmcrest Diner before school. She feels blessed to have grown up in this bucolic New England town with great schools, endless opportunities and a real sense of community spirit. It was here that Carrie and Peter made life-long friendships and learned the importance of giving back to the community from their grandparents and parents. It was all these factors that made Carrie and Peter want to raise their families in “the next station to heaven!”
 David Rucci, a third generation New Canaanite. David Rucci is a land guy. It’s genetic really. His grandfather Joseph, and generations before him, were steeped in the Italian countryside of Panni, resting in the Puglia Mountains with lush valleys beneath blue skies. A love of nature was hardwired into the Rucci family, and when Joseph landed in Stamford at the age of 11, that Italian countryside served as his barometer for natural beauty.
Years later when he looked to set down roots for he and his wife, Ida, Ponus Ridge offered a natural allure reminiscent of his hometown. Joseph and Ida settled there to raise seven kids who grew up combing the countryside for adventure. Joseph opened the Colonial Barber Shop in the heart of town where he came to know everybody, and their secrets. All of the children attended the local public schools. Their eldest son Joe, David’s father, was a hometown boy. When it was time to go to college, he opted to stay close to his beloved New Canaan countryside and headed to Fairfield University. From there he ventured to Villanova School of Law, where he met his wife Debbie, and then on to the FBI’s law enforcement training and research center. It was the 1960s, and his arrival in Quantico coincided with the escalating tensions of the Civil Rights movement. He was assigned to a satellite office in Mississippi. Newlywed, he and Debbie settled in Tupelo, where David was born. During his time in Mississippi, Joe was a key player in the case made famous by the film “Mississippi Burning” in which Klansmen, including a sheriff and his deputy, killed three noted Civil Rights workers. |
A Celebration of Generations is a tribute to New Canaan and the families that make up its incredible community. These stories illustrate New Canaan and just why we help families Stay Put from generation to generation.
Join us virtually as Brian Williams introduces his family Pat Stoddard, Jane Stoddard Williams and Allison Williams and listen as they tell stories about their lives in New Canaan. With your help we will ensure our neighbors Stay Put from generation to generation.
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