David K. Kilbon passed away on February 26, 2026, at the Residence at Shelburne Bay after a long battle with Atypical Parkinsonism.
Dave is survived by his sister, Sue Stiles (Bill), of Glendale Springs, N.C.; two sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Shelley of Loveland, Colo., and Steve and Kim of Williston, Vt.; and four grandchildren, Myleigh, Kaiya and Owen in Vermont and Harrison in Colorado. His wife, Judy, predeceased him. Dave was previously married to Margo (Stout) and Linda (Gullo) Frye, both of whom survive him.
Dave spent his working life in suburban Hartford, Conn. For 40 years he lived in East Granby, between Hartford and Springfield, Mass. He was a graduate of Cornell University; Dave was a senior fellow of the Hartford chapter of the American Leadership Forum. He moved to Connecticut to take a job with Connecticut General Insurance, which became CIGNA during his tenure. He left CIGNA in 1991, moving to a position with the State of Connecticut’s Department of Economic Development, managing programs to help defense-reliant small manufacturers diversify into civilian markets.
In 1996 Dave left the State to take the role of the Town of East Granby first selectman (mayor), acting as both chief elected official and chief administrator for the Town. During his first term as first selectman, he introduced the town newsletter, “Let’s Talk Turkey.” He served 12 years as first selectman and a further six as chair of the Town’s Board of Finance. He was awarded East Granby Citizen of the Year in 2008. He also served on the Town’s Economic Development Commission and the Insurance Commission. During his tenure he negotiated with the help of senator Joe Lieberman’s office to purchase what became East Granby Farms Park. He also oversaw the construction of the East Granby Highway Garage and East Granby Public Library.
He was an advocate of regional efforts and believed they saved towns money. During and after his service as first selectman, he was the Town’s representative to the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), serving as CRCOG’s Transportation chair for eight years and chair of the Policy Board for two. He worked closely with the late Lyle Wray, attending numerous National Association of Regional Councils conventions. Dave also chaired the board of directors of the Farmington Valley Health District, the regional health agency to which the Town belonged, for multiple years. He also worked with Jon Colman of Bloomfield and Chip Beckett of Glastonbury writing op-eds encouraging regional efforts.
Dave was named to the Bradley International Airport Commission in 2001; he served seven years, until his term expired as first selectman.
Dave was an enthusiastic traveler. The travel bug infected him early; when he was 3 years old, in 1949, his family moved to Paris, France, and then in 1950 to the Hague in the Netherlands. Between 1949 and 1952 his family visited many European countries, and his father quizzed Dave and Sue on geography to pass the time while they were waiting for service in restaurants. In 1982 he and Linda joined his mother and both sons to go to Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand. In later years Dave and Judy were able to travel extensively, as far east as China, Hong Kong and Singapore and to numerous Western European countries, including France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Malta, Ireland and especially the United Kingdom, which they visited numerous times. In 2010 Judy and Dave walked across England on the Coast to Coast Path with friends Liz Swearingen and Steve Turitzin, and after Judy’s death Dave traveled to Spain with Liz and Steve in 2016 and hiked the West Highland Way in Scotland with them in 2018.
In 2010 Judy and Dave bought a townhome in Fort Collins, Colo., intending to escape Connecticut humidity and spend more time with their Loveland family. Sadly, the only summer they were able to enjoy there together was in 2011, before Judy’s illness overtook them. After Judy’s death, Dave continued to go to Fort Collins until 2023, usually driving between Connecticut or, later, Vermont and Colorado with frequent stops and detours to sightsee en route. On several occasions Dave took advantage of being in the West to extend his trip, driving to California. In 2019 Dave moved to Essex, Vt., to be close to Kim and Steve and their family. In 2023 he had heart surgery and moved to Shelburne.
Dave and his family would like to thank the staff of the Residence at Shelburne Bay for their love, care and support during his illness. He would also like to thank his physical therapist Nicole Gilbert, who over the years became a good friend; and his private aide Emily Germain and her dog, Wally, who worked with Dave throughout the end of his wonderful life.
In lieu of sending flowers, Dave’s family asks that you send your contributions to the East Granby Public Library.
This article appears in March 4 • 2026.