Long-Deceased West Hartford Benefactor Still Supporting Community

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Philanthropist and local businessman Arthur R. Carling may have died at the age of 83 in 2003, but he is still helping out his beloved West Hartford.

Carling's latest bequest is in the form of $500,000 to the Town of West Hartford so it can purchase future vehicles for the West Hartford Fire Department.

The West Hartford Town Council voted 9-0 on March 25 to accept the gift and, eventually, apply it toward the cause near and dear to Carling.

"The town is very pleased to be the beneficiary of $500,000 from the Arthur R. Carling Trust," West Hartford Town Manager Rick Ledwith said at the meeting.. "Mr. Carling lived in West Hartford most of his life. We are incredibly grateful to Mr. Carling and his family for this generous donation."

In addition, Ledwith said Carling was a World War II veteran and a prominent member of the West Hartford Rotary Club back in the day.

Ledwith said the council resolution is to accept the funding, with another council action required later to appropriate those funds for the designated purpose.

Carling's parents, who were Swedish immigrants, founded the Carling Tool and Machine Co. in the Hartford area in 1920, with company headquarters once located in West Hartford.

The company eventually evolved into what is now Carling Technologies, and it is now a global manufacturer of electrical components. Now based in Plainville, Carling is corporately owned.

From 1948-1956, Carling — a longtime West Hartford resident — was president of the company his parents founded.

Until his death in 2003, Carling was a prominent benefactor to many causes near and dear to his heart and, according to the resolution approved by council members, he loved firetrucks, even having models of such in his office for decades.

Before becoming an executive at his family company, Carling was a West Hartford volunteer firefighter when he was just a teenager, reads the resolution.

Town leaders accepted the gift, which is through what is called the Arthur R. Carling Revocable Trust, and expressed "gratitude for the generous donation."

"This is really remarkable generosity and thoughtfulness from a remarkable man who served his country and served our community," West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said.

"This is really a testament to the power of residents and the community who really express their love and devotion, and this is a prime example," added West Hartford Councilperson Carol Blanks, citing the Carling family's immigrant status.

Blanks alluded to current federal policies regarding immigrants nationally, and said the Carling family's immigrant background shows why immigrants should be embraced.

"Especially in the climate we are all in, it goes to show you the power of living in a community they have a love for," she said.

For the minutes of the March 25 West Hartford Town Council meeting, click on this link.

To see the specific resolution approved regarding the Carling donation, click on this link.