Distraught Husband Ends Life at Grave Site in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

OLD SAYBROOK - The unbearable pain of losing his wife more than two years ago caused a Drummers Trail resident to commit suicide.

A morning visitor on Sunday, Jan. 13 paying respects at the Riverside Cemetery on Sheffield Street found the body of 43-year-old Timothy F. Brodeur in front of his wife's grave.

Brodeur's wife, Terri Brodeur, died in October 2005 of breast cancer at the age of 41.

According to Old Saybrook Police Department Lieutenant Michael Spera, after discovering the body, the visitor drove to police headquarters on Main Street and reported the death.

An official from the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Farmington said the death was ruled a suicide and was the result of a single gunshot wound.

Spera said the time of death is believed to be sometime after midnight on Jan. 13, adding that the department withholds certain information in suicide cases.
Brodeur leaves behind three children, Ashley, 14, Melanie, 12, and Sean, 9, all of whom are enrolled in Old Saybrook Public Schools.

Old Saybrook Superintendent of Schools Joseph Onofrio sent an e-mail to school staff stating, "No words can adequately describe the tragedy of losing a parent, a friend, a relative, but together we can help each other, our students, and the community at large through this difficult time."

Onfrio said that counselor Karen Fisher met with school staff to provide assistance and that counseling services were available to students and staff at the Action Public Library.

Timothy and Terri first met as freshmen at the University of Connecticut in the early 1980's and subsequently graduated with business degrees in 1986.

They pursued jobs in the accounting and insurance industries in the Hartford area and obtained graduate degrees before having their first child, Ashley, in 1993.

After having Melanie in 1995, they moved to Old Saybrook and Terri gave birth to Sean in 1998 and became an active volunteer in the elementary school system, local parish, and Girl Scouts.

She was first diagnosed with Stage-IV breast cancer in July 2003 and died two years later.

Timothy worked for the portfolio decision analysis group as a senior manager at Pifizer.

Outside of work, Timothy served his community by assisting with the Old Saybrook youth soccer program and attended St. John's Church.

He helped form and was director of the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation, TBBCF, a non-profit organization devoting 100 percent of its gross fundraising dollars directly to breast cancer research.

The foundation's Web site, www.terribrodeurbreastcancerfoundation.org, states that while there are numerous large and successful organizations raising funds for breast cancer awareness and research, many have overhead and administrative costs that must be offset by a percent of fundraising dollars.

Unlike those, TBBCF worked at a grass roots level with committed volunteers and was supported by sponsors who have included Old Saybrook High School, Citizens Bank Westbrook, Bob's Discount Furniture, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, Mohegan Sun, and Foxwoods Resort and Casino.

Fundraisers held in the local area raising money for TBBCF have included Essex Paint the Town Pink, One Magic Night in Old Saybrook, Old Saybrook High School's Walk to Cure Cancer, Dinner at Liv's Oyster Bar, Old Lyme Country Club Golf Tournaments, and Walk across Southeastern Connecticut.

In total, TBBCF awarded four grants totaling $400,000 to four promising researchers.