Ralph E. Chidley, of Stonington, died Tuesday, October 22, 2019, of complications from pneumonia. Ralph was born in 1931, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Joseph and Florence (Fairfield) Chidley. In 1949 he graduated from Euclid Shore High School where he was a standout athlete in football, wrestling, and track. After one year of NROTC at Ohio State University, he was accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy. Ralph graduated from Annapolis in 1954 and became one of the early personal selections of Adm Rickover to be part of the "Nuclear Navy." While stationed at the Groton/New London Submarine base, Ralph went on to command two nuclear submarines, the Ethan Allen and the Henry L. Stimpson. He was promoted to Captain in 1975 and stationed outside of Washington DC to take part in the development of the Ohio class "Trident" submarines. As one of the leaders of that project, Ralph was the principal designer of that ship's control room and he led the development of the initial training programs for its crews. After retirement from the Navy, Ralph cofounded the Interlock Group, which specialized in developing training programs for complex industrial control systems and machinery. Ralph is survived by his son, Brian and his wife, Pam; and his three grandchildren, Nell, Simon, and Ben, all of Mystic. Ralph was predeceased by his wife, Margaret in 2018, his brother Joseph, in 2014, and a son, Derek, in 1988. A memorial service followed by military honors will be held for Ralph at the Gales Ferry United Methodist Church at 10:00 am on Saturday, November 30th. There are no calling hours.
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Margaret W. (Denniston) Chidley, 83, a resident of Stoneridge in Mystic, wife of CAPT. Ralph E. Chidley (USN retired), died July 19, 2018, at Avalon Health Care. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, she was the daughter of the late William and Marion (Wilson) Denniston, and sister to the late Bill Denniston of Glasgow. The Chidleys lived in Ledyard from 1961 to 1973, when they moved to northern Virginia. Margaret and Ralph moved back to Connecticut in 2006 to be closer to family. Margaret had a successful career in real estate, first as a realtor and later as an investor. Margaret was known for her extensive artistic talents and produced many high-quality paintings in her lifetime. For a decade she was the set dresser at the Aldersgate Community Theater in Alexandria, Va. She served on the board of directors at the Arts Club of Washington, D.C. for over 15 years. Margaret was a devout supporter of her church filling many roles, most recently at the First United Methodist Church in Mystic, and previously at Gales Ferry UMC in Ledyard and Aldersgate UMC in Alexandria. In addition to her husband, she leaves a son, Brian Chidley and his wife, Pam Dolan, of Mystic; and three grandchildren, Nell, Simon and Ben. Her first son, Derek, died of lymphoma in 1988.A memorial service celebrating Margaret's life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at the First United Methodist Church, Willow Street, Mystic. Her burial will be held privately. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church.
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