John Nelson Gosselin

John Gosselin, 90, of Greens Farms, Conn.-husband, father, IBM employee of 38 years and a lifelong teller of stories -passed away peacefully at Bridgeport Hospital on Feb. 6, 2018.
John was born in 1927 in West Hartford, Conn., the son of Dr. George Adlor Gosselin, a neurologist, and Edith Terry Nelson, who hosted a radio show.
John graduated from The Choate School in Wallingford, in 1945, and attended Williams College. During the Korean War, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He received an honorable discharge in 1954, returned to Williams and graduated in 1955.
John went to work for International Business Machines in Waterbury, Conn. By 1959, he was stationed at IBM's European headquarters in Paris, France. It was the start of a career that would take him to five continents as he negotiated patent licensing and trade deals that lead to the advancement of computers. He retired at age 67, after serving as Director of Commercial Relations.
On January 21, 1961 he married Elizabeth Hoyt "Betty" Miller. Two years later, after the birth of their first child, Lisa, they moved back from France to New York City, where George and Jennifer were born. They bought their home in Greens Farms, a farmhouse which had no heat at the time, in 1964. In 1975, John was transferred back to Paris where the family spent 10 years before returning to Connecticut.
When asked what he was most proud of in his career, he replied without hesitation, "getting to know the inventors we worked with and making sure they were successful." While he traveled the world on business, he was always a devoted father, spending his free time with his family, whom he was inordinately proud of.
After retiring in Greens Farms at age 67, John continued to consult with IBM and served as an expert witness on patent law cases. He attended Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport, Conn., served on the board of the Greens Farms Association and was a member of the Pequot Yacht Club for five decades.
John Gosselin was predeceased by his sister, Elizabeth Ann Gosselin, and his parents. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Betty; daughter Elizabeth "Lisa" Gosselin Lynn and her husband, Angelo, of Middlebury and Stowe, Vt.; son George Gosselin and his wife, Annette, of Fairfield; and daughter Jennifer Gosselin and her husband Reed Maltzman, of San Francisco, Calif. He also leaves four grandchildren: Sam and Jack Gosselin, Zoe and Max Maltzman; and step-grandchildren Polly Lynn Mikula and her husband Jason, Christy Lynn and her husband Sam Ostrow and Elsie Lynn Parini and her husband Oliver.
A memorial service will be held at 3 pm Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport, followed by a reception for family and friends. The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Trinity Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, 651 Pequot Ave., Southport, CT 06890.