Gregory Michael Carlon died on June 21st 2023 in New York City, surrounded by his family and friends. He was 57 years old.
Greg Carlon
Born on September 5th 1965, Greg, known affectionately as “Cool” by his wife Carolyn and beautiful daughters Emma and Elizabeth, was raised in Plantation, Florida where he graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 1983. After moving to Stamford Connecticut with his family after graduation, he attended the University of Connecticut where he earned a degree in History in 1987.
While attending UCONN, Greg started working at Stamford Wine and Liquor, fell in love with wine and shared his love and knowledge with customers. His superpower was listening to people and connecting them with the perfect wine for any meal or occasion. Eventually, he opened Glenville Wine and Spirits in Greenwich, which he built into a fine wine store. Next came Castle Wine and Spirits in Westport. Through both stores, Greg shared his expertise and passion for wine and supported his community by never saying no to any requests for donations of gift baskets for fundraising purposes. For Greg, though, his retail stores were not just about inventory and sales—they were vehicles for connecting with people.
Greg had a way of deeply connecting with the people around him and making everyone he spoke with feel special, valued, and important—no one felt like a stranger when speaking to Greg, even after meeting him for the first time. Those who got into his inner circle were even privy to Carlon slang including words like Minga, Yip Yip, and catchphrases such as, “It don’t cost nothin’.”
While Greg shared the love inside him in many ways, perhaps his favorite way to show someone he cared for them was through his cooking. Cooking for others brought him endless amounts of joy and one never left a meal Greg prepared for them hungry or unsatisfied. A perfectionist at heart, a recipe did not make it into his private cookbook until it was up to his standards and friends will be happy to know that before he passed away, Greg perfected his meatball recipe, which will remain a heavily guarded family secret. His perfectionism was also evident in his stores; as his employees will tell you, there is a right way to sweep a floor—Greg’s way!
Music was very important to Greg and he had a playlist for everything from cooking to hanging out on his patio where he spent a lot of time enjoying the sea of color from his carefully cultivated garden in his backyard. While Greg loved all types of music, he had a special appreciation for Jazz and would often pop into a Jazz club with Carolyn before finishing a night out in the City. His love of Jazz spurred him to become a founding board member of BackCountry Jazz, a non-profit organization based in Greenwich that helps keep Jazz alive through education and cultivating the next generation of Jazz lovers.
Greg found joy in life’s simplicities and treasured taking walks with his dog Roni and his boyish excitement would rise whenever a hummingbird flew into his yard. That’s because, like Greg, hummingbirds are rare, cool, and won’t go to places that aren’t safe or healthy.
While Greg was passionate about his business, cooking, nature, and music, absolutely nothing brought him more joy than spending time with his wife Carolyn and their daughters Emma and Elizabeth, who were an endless source of inspiration for him. He truly viewed every day he shared with them as a gift and they filled his heart with love that could be seen, heard, and felt.
In addition to his wife and children, Greg is survived by his parents, Don and Arlene Carlon, his favorite sister, Mia Volpe (Paul), his twin brothers Michael Carlon (Nicole) and James Carlon (Kelly) and mother and father in law, Douglas and Margaret Koziak and brother in law Doug (Tatiana) Koziak. He is predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Michael and Christine Carlon, his maternal grandparents, Peter and Maria Fauci, and his uncle, George Carlon.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 28th at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church located at 21 Cherry Street in New Canaan, CT with a reception to follow at the Carriage House at Waveny park. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to St. Aloysius building fund by check with Greg’s name in the memo section. Greg was a very active member of St. A’s and he considered it to be his spiritual home and a place where he would not only attend Mass, but seek solace by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary. These donations will be used to build a garden and pollinator pathway to attract butterflies, bees, and, Greg’s favorite, hummingbirds!
Filled with gratitude, Greg was sure to say thank you to anyone who treated him throughout his illness or showed him kindness. Taking his lead, Greg’s family would like to thank all of the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners at both Memorial Sloan Kettering and Greenwich Hospital who treated Greg throughout his illness.