James W. Tilney
James Weeks Tilney, 81, of Bloomfield, Connecticut, died March 19, 2025 after contending with Parkinson’s disease. Known as Rusty, the beloved husband, father, and grandfather will always be remembered for his curiosity, perseverance, bad puns, and unaffected kindness. Born on April 24, 1943, in New York City, Rusty was the second son of Norcross and Anne Tilney, and brother to Peter, Winifred, Sheldon, Victoria, Schuyler, Cornelia, and Augusta. Overcoming the loss of his mother as a young boy, Rusty excelled academically, graduating from St. Mark’s School, Yale University, and Harvard Business School. He served as Lieutenant Junior Grade (and ship’s librarian) in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. On June 28, 1969, he and Margaret “Midge” Herlihy were married, creating a love, devotion, and dedication to his family that lasted for the rest of his life. A passion for architecture led him to a career in real estate, including three years working in London, England. In 2002 he began to re-develop the village of Collinsville, Connecticut, site of the Collins Axe Company, preserving its historic integrity and helping to launch its future vibrancy. Learning from his father, Rusty excelled in equities investing, consistently questioning common wisdom and taking contrarian positions. He was defined by his many avocations, including architecture, genealogy, racquet sports, art and book collecting, beer brewing, photography, rowing, lichen collecting, and mushroom hunting–he was a proud member of the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society. Rusty also devoted himself to the service of others as a reading tutor through ConnectiKids, a trustee of Renbrook School, a collector’s council member of the New Britain Art Museum, and a board member of Connecticut Humanities and the Connecticut Historical Society. Rusty is survived by his wife Midge; his daughter Lisa Tilney and her husband Scott Douglas and his son Zander Douglas; his daughter Merritt Tilney, her husband Doug Kaden and children Amelia and James Kaden; and his son Alex, his wife Sarah Hughes and children Owen and Helen Tilney. A memorial service will take place in May, with more details to come. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the youth organization where Rusty volunteered, ConnectiKids. He will be deeply missed.
Published by
New York Times on Mar. 30, 2025.