Carl E. Aspland died on April 18, 2021. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was the son of Carl E. Aspland and Arlene (Storrs) Aspland. He graduated high school in Mason City, Iowa, and received a Bachelor’s of Business Science degree from the University of Iowa. He went back to college later in life at Tunxis Community College, Farmington, Connecticut, to study Spanish.
Carl worked and retired from the Travelers Insurance Company, working in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia and in 1976 moving to Hartford, Connecticut, working out of the home office. Carl had a distinguished career with the Travelers as he represented them on several trade organizations, developed and taught training courses, wrote manuals and did branch office inspections. He was a co-author of an advanced text used throughout the insurance industry and has been published in several trade magazines. He received the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter professional designation in Dallas, Texas, the Associate in Audit degree in Hartford, and the Certified Insurance Premium Audit (CIPA) professional designation in Louisville, Kentucky, and holds CIPA certificate number 1. He helped design, create, and taught CIPA courses for two semesters at the Hartford Campus of the University of Connecticut.
Carl was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Milford, MA, and previously a member of Asbury United Methodist Church in Forestville, CT. He was a Certified Lay Minister in the United Methodist Church and early service Lay Reader and Deacon at Asbury.
Carl was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in March 1984 in Franklin Lodge No. 56 in Bristol, CT, now Frederick Franklin Lodge No. 14. He is a Past Master of this lodge. In addition to many roles, responsibilities, and achievements, he was a Most Excellent High Priest of Pequabuck-Giddings Chapter No. 32 in New Britain, CT, Grand High Priest of the Most Excellent Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Connecticut for 2006-2007, Representative of the Grand Chapter of Iowa near Connecticut and Chairman of the Grand Chapter of Connecticut’s Archive Committee. He was set apart to the Holy Order of High Priesthood in the Connecticut Convention of Anointed High Priests in Royal Arch Masonry in 2000. Carl also served as Thrice Illustrious Master of Ionic-Doric 1996-98 and was received in Connecticut Council of Anointed Kings, Order of the Silver Trowel. Knighted in Washington Commandery No.1 in East Hartford, he served as Eminent Commander and then several years as Prelate. He then received the distinct honor by being admitted into Connecticut Priory No. 28 of Knights of the York Cross of Honour in 2006. He received the Knight Crusaders of the Temple Award. He was Past Most Wise Master of the Cyrus Goodell Chapter of Rose Croix and a member of the Nathan Hale Consistory in Newington.
Carl joined the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North America-Sphinx Temple, Newington in 1994. He joined the Funsters Clown Unit where he was a life member. He attended the Northeast Clown Institute in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to learn to use magic, make balloon animals, and to volunteer as a clown, Razzle Dazzle, to assist in fundraising for the Shriner Hospitals. He was also a member of the North East and International Clown Associations.
Carl was involved in scouting for over 50 years, becoming a troop leader and helping many boys achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, as he had done. He served the Boy Scouts of America as a Roundtable Commissioner in Wisconsin and as a Scoutmaster in Virginia.
Carl was a voracious reader and frequently complained that he had read all the books, whether in a library or in a bookstore. He absolutely loved to drive and to listen to old radio programs. His favorite hobbies were woodworking and gardening, and he loved all dogs. Dad saw the world with a dry wit that was often clever and funny and also frequently aggravating. He was the master of the one-liner and getting to the point, making him a popular speaker throughout his career.
Carl is survived by his daughter Barbara Aspland-Wolf and her husband Robert, grandchildren Galen and Maya; daughter Patricia (Aspland) Miller and her husband Adam; his sister Lynnea Schafer and her husband John, stepsister Pam Waters, cousins, nephews, nieces, grandnieces and nephew, and great grandnieces. He is predeceased by his father, mother, and stepmother, Helen (Dukes) Aspland, and sister Sherryl Pippert.
Ginley Funeral Home of Franklin, MA (www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com) will fulfill dad’s request to be cremated.
Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children or to a dog rescue organization.