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William ‘Bill’ Rutan

William “Bill” Rutan, age 86, of Centerbrook passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness on April 4 at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was born on May 5, 1931 in Middletown, the son of the late Charles William Rutan and Hazel (Tiley) Rutan.

He leaves behind his longtime companion Carole Schmitt of Centerbrook and their faithful dog Tag; his son Daniel William Rutan and wife Deborah (Strain) Rutan of Deep River; his daughter Rebecca Rutan Filkowski and husband Eric Filkowski of Waterbury Center, Vermont; grandchildren Cole Rutan, McLaine Rutan, Taylor Burdett, Ethan Burdett, Emma Filkowski, and Meagan Filkowski and Carole’s granddaughter Grace Anniskett; his former wife and dear friend Deirdre (Wilson) Rutan of Essex; and his sister Nancy (Rutan) Meitzler of Norwich. He also leaves many nieces, nephews, and extended family members. He was predeceased by his brother Charles Tiley Rutan of Chester.

Bill was a lifelong resident of Essex and graduated from Pratt High School. He proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army during the Korean War. He was self-employed with several businesses through the years, but his passion was amateur car racing. He built racing cars and engines for himself and many others, belonged to the SCCA and VSCCA, and ran hill climbs, endurance races, and road courses. His racing career spanned over 60 years. He won many races, including two championships at Daytona and Riverside, and set many hill climbing records. Many will remember “The Bathtub,” a Volkswagen that he outfitted with a Porsche engine and captured the record to the top of Mt. Washington, a record he held for several years. He was also a longtime member of the Essex Boat Club, where he enjoyed gathering with others for friendly debate and camaraderie, and where he also enjoyed its beauty and serenity overlooking the Connecticut River through the years with his many four-legged friends.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 15 at Fountain Hill Cemetery, 57 High Street, Deep River. His family appreciates all of the support and kind words shown. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Essex Veteran’s Memorial Hall, Inc. P.O. Box 142, Centerbrook CT 06409. To share a memory of Bill or send a condolence to his family, please visit www.rwwfh.com.