Faria executive dies in boating accident
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Chris Conradi, vice president of manufacturing for Faria Marine Instruments and the Thomas G. Faria Corp., was killed in a boating accident on Long Island Sound Saturday, Faria President Dave Blackburn reported in a release this morning.
Conradi was participating in a two-day race from New London, Conn., to Greenport, on Long Island, N.Y., when a squall from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan hit the boat with 50+ knot winds and capsized the vessel.
Conradi was wearing a personal floatation device, but was trapped underneath his tri-hull sailboat and could not be extricated from the rigging before he had drowned.
Conradi had worked for Faria Corp. for more than 12 years, beginning as an industrial engineer before moving on to hold a number of positions within the company.
In a memo to company employees concerning the accident, Blackburn described Conradi as a “true team player who never balked at a challenge and continuously sought to improve himself.”
“Chris was an avid sailboat racer,” Blackburn wrote. “He raced with a passion, and boating has been a constant part of his life since he was a child. In talking to Chris’ dad Sunday afternoon, we agreed that if there is anything positive to say about this incident it is that Chris died doing something that he loved. In that one respect, he was lucky.
“Chris was one of the most trusted managers of the Faria corporate family. He was also a genuinely good person as well as a good friend. He will be missed greatly, both professionally and personally.”
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