NORWICH – Norwich businessman Douglas S. Christman, 76, who passed away Thursday, is remembered this morning as a friend, a mentor and a quiet leader.

He was a well-known area Chevrolet-Buick dealer at Christman Motor Sales Inc. in Norwich for more than 50 years. He became owner-operator in 1978.

He worked with his cousin, Hank Scudder, and friend, Tom Morrone.

“He was a great mentor and a great friend. A good business partnership is like a marriage; it has its ups and downs, but it always sticks together. We were always in contact with each other,” said Morrone.

Scudder said when he was young, his cousin was more of a close uncle who took him hunting and fishing and taught him to build model airplanes. The airplane models were later flown in national model airplane championships in 1961 and 1962.