Thea Dutcher Coburn, 89, died unexpectedly but peacefully at her home in Suffield on May 24, 2009, as the result of an accident. Born in New Jersey, she was the older of two children born to her father, Frederick Harris Dutcher, a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University, and her mother, Thea Schaefer Dutcher. A resident of Suffield for 53 years, she was pre-deceased by her husband, Attorney James Coburn; both of her parents; her sister Helen Van Gorden, and a grandnephew Nicolas Ganter. Thea is survived by nieces and nephews: Beth Van Gorden, Portland, Maine, Bill Van Gorden (Connie), Geneva, Florida; Gail Ganter-Toback (Arnie, New Paltz, New York; James Ganter, Simsbury, CT; John Ganter (Linda), Hampton, CT and grandnieces and grandnephews: John Cutonilli, Doreen Cutonilli, Jamey Ganter, Brian Ganter, Jennifer Bradshaw, Beth Moravecek, Micaela Ganter and David Ganter. Thea grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, graduating from College High School, a demonstration high school based at Montclair State Teacher’s College High School in June, 1937. She earned a scholarship to Connecticut College where as an Economics major, she was among the first 10 students selected to participate in the Auerbach Project (The project was sponsored by Beatrice Fox Auerbach, of G. Fox Department Store in Hartford, and directed by Chase Going Woodhouse, who later served as Connecticut Secretary of the State). The Auerbach project, permitted selected students from Connecticut College to take specialized courses and work during holidays and summers at G. Fox. As part of this project, Thea worked at G. Fox in various departments under the direction of Mrs. Auerbach. She various responsibilities included: organizing fashion shows, modeling, talking to women’s groups, doing price comparison shopping and sales. In February, 1942, Thea and James Coburn were married, shortly before he was drafted that May. She continued to live in their apartment on South Marshall Street and work at G. Fox until 1944 when he returned from military service during World War II. They bought their house in the Suffield Historic District in 1945, moved into it in 1946 and resided there for the rest of their lives. Thea remembered the words of her high school government teacher, when she and Jim chose Suffield: The essence of democracy starts in local town meetings. She immediately pursued her interest in local government after moving to Suffield. Thea and a neighbor, Doris Leete, were the prime movers in forming a local chapter of the League of Women Voters. She was an active member of this organization for many years and served a term as president. In 1948, Thea became the Suffield correspondent for the Hartford Times. She wrote a daily column reporting on town news for the next 19 years. She and a neighbor, Eleanor Smith, who contributed a similar column to the Hartford Courant, sent their copy to the newspapers via the bus that traveled through Suffield from Springfield to Hartford. She was the first correspondent to cover Board of Education meetings, perhaps a harbinger of later being invited and then elected to serve on the Board for 10 years. Thea also served on the Suffield Land Commission for 20 years. She was a founding member of the Suffield Land Conservancy, and served as the group’s president and a member of its board of directors for many years. In 2002, she was presented the Department of Environmental Protection’s GreenCircle Award for promoting conservation and preservation of critical plant or animal habitats. For many years the owner of a summer home in Maine, she also was a member of the Kennebunk Land Trust and the Maine Audubon Society. Not surprisingly, her keen interest in nature and growing things also extended to gardening and she was a member of the Suffield Garden Club and the Hatheway House Committee for many years. j Thea was a dignified and beautifully groomed lady whose sharp intellect was immediately apparent when she spoke. Her interests were broad and varied and included art, music, nature, architecture and the theater. She loved visiting museums and attending concerts and traveled widely with her husband before his death and afterward with friends and Elder Hostels. She and a friend, Elizabeth Bennet, took a four year course devoted to the works of Shakespeare at the University of Hartford during the 1980’s. They also traveled together every year to Winsted, Connecticut, to take classes in fine arts offered at Northwestern College. In her later years, Thea faced aging with determination and interest: She intended to be as productive as possible and employ fully the years allotted to her. She continued to enjoy laughter and beauty along while remaining intellectually curious and civic-minded. She believed in our stewardship of the earth and continued to be very active in Town Meetings and the Suffield Land Conservancy events. Aware that she was nearing age 90 years, Thea was both amazed and philosophical: amazed that she was “blessed” (her word) with friends, family, health and life; philosophical about limited “time left.” Thea leaves behind her family and a multitude of friends, all of whom she loved, mentored, helped, challenged and befriended in many and diverse ways. She hosted numerous family gatherings over the years, in Connecticut and at her summer home and entertained and hosted functions with her host of friends. She will be sorely missed, in Suffield and so many other places. A Memorial Service will be held at First Church of Christ, Congregational, 81 High Street, Suffield, CT, June 6, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. A reception will be held after the service in the Ebenezer Gay Room. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Suffield Land Conservancy. Nicholson & Carmon Funeral Home in Suffield has care of the arrangements. Please visit us at www.carmonfuneralhome.com for online condolences.