David C. Bigelow”™s, co-chairman of Fairfield-based Bigelow Tea Co., passed away on June 27 at the age of 96.
Bigelow was born in 1926 in New York City and grew up in Wilton. He served as a translator in the U.S. Army during World War II and graduated from Yale University with the class of 1948.
After initially working in the film industry, Bigelow joined the business created by his parents David E. Bigelow and Ruth Campbell Bigelow. He would team with his wife Eunice in running the company, and the couple are credited with launching their specialty tea line to mass market through grocery channels in the 1970s.
Bigelow was also prominent in preserving the Charleston Tea Garden in South Carolina when it faced demolition, and he led its restoration. Today, it is the nation”™s largest commercial tea farm and welcomes more than 80,000 visitors annually.
His daughter, Cindi Bigelow, third generation president and CEO, paid tribute to him by stating, “My father was my mentor for my entire life both personally and professionally. He never wavered from the traits I admired the most. He was a humble, grateful and a kind man. He leaves a big hole for my family, our extended family at Bigelow Tea and far beyond, but we will continue forward with the lessons he taught us all”¦.think about others before self.”
