Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame To Induct Middlebury Man

MIDDLEBURY, CT — A Middlebury man has been selected as part of the 20th class of honorees for induction into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame.

Administered and sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs and the Connecticut Military Department on behalf of the Office of the Governor, the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 2005 and inducts a new class annually. With the addition of this year’s class, there will now be 215 honorees inducted.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that US. Army veteran William James Stowell was among the 14 Connecticut vets selected as part of the 20th class of honorees who "have continued making significant impacts in their communities after leaving military service."

According to his biography prepared by the state, Stowell was raised in Middlebury and became a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve in July 1964 while he was a student at Woodbury High School. He started his career as an enlisted member of the U.S. Navy and attained the rank of chief petty officer. After twelve years of enlisted service, he was promoted to the rank of Ensign Supply Corps under the Limited Duty Officer Program.

Both Stowell’s enlisted and officer services were in logistics. During his military career, he served on five naval ships, as well as completing two tours in Vietnam, holding two major staff positions. After his first tour with the Seabees, he was assigned as an advisor to the Vietnamese Navy, which required intensive language training. He received numerous medals and awards, including the Meritorious Service medal, three Navy Commendation medals, and three Navy achievement medals. He retired in June 1988 as a lieutenant commander after 24 years of service.

After retirement from the Navy, Stowell worked as the business manager for Regional School District 16, managing a $30 million budget and overseeing human resources, food service, transportation, and facilities management. After retirement from Region 16, he was asked to return as a consultant to oversee the building of a $60 million new elementary school.

Stowell’s service continued for the Town of Middlebury, holding the positions of chairman of the Board of Finance and Planning and Zoning Commission, treasurer of the Library Board, member of the Middlebury Retirement Committee, and veteran member of the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department. He presently serves as the municipal veterans representative for the Town of Middlebury. He has worked for the past 35 years at St. George’s Episcopal Church, serving as treasurer, past senior warden, and vestry member, and was named the church’s first verger in 2013.

He lives in Middlebury with his wife, Karen, and has two children and four grandchildren.

The focus of the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame is on veterans’ service to their communities after they have left military service. Many of the honorees are veterans who have been leaders in a variety of areas, such as the arts, education, public service, volunteer organizations, and community and business leadership.

The honorees are nominated throughout the year by members of the public, and then a committee – consisting of the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, the adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard, members of the legislature’s Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs, and a group of veterans from the state – reviews the nominations and selects inductees.

This year’s class will be celebrated during an induction ceremony that will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in the Gold Star Families Memorial Auditorium on the campus of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill.