NAPLES, Fla. – William J. Sweetman, of Naples, Fla.
, and Litchfield, Conn., passed away on Oct. 16, 2024.
Bill is survived by his wife of 19 years, Susan; two daughters, Jamie (Scott) Gray and Sarah (Michael) Carr; two stepdaughters, Laura Ladd and Julie (Andy) Materna, and a stepson Jeffrey (Erin) Ladd; and 13 grandchildren. Bill graduated from Litchfield High School in 1964 and then attended the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated in 1968. He was accepted at the Columbia Graduate School of Business, but when graduate school deferments were abolished during the Vietnam War, he joined the Navy and served as a LTJG aboard the USS Barney (DDG-6) in the Mediterranean Sea.
After receiving an honorable discharge in 1972, he returned to Connecticut to run Dwan & Co. Inc., the Anheuser-Busch wholesalership founded by his grandfather in 1928.
He served as president and owner for many years, eventually selling the business in 2012 and retiring to Naples, Fla. He served on the board of the Center for Social Concerns at Notre Dame and established the William J. Sweetman Endowment for Excellence at the center.
Over the years the center has sent hundreds of students from Notre Dame around the world for volunteer work. He served on the board of directors of the Connecticut Junior Republic and donated The Sweetman Auditorium on the campus. He served on the board of directors of the First National Bank of Litchfield, Patterson Oil, and the Torrington Water Co.
He was an avid golfe.