Norwich — Otis Library has received a $3 million donation — the largest single gift ever — from the estate of a Canterbury man who had come to the library regularly to read stock reports and check on his portfolio, Library Director Robert Farwell said.

[naviga:img class="img-responsive" src="/Assets/news2015/guty_michael.jpg" alt="Michael Guty"/]

Michael Guty

According to an obituary published in The Day, Michael Guty, 92, formerly of Canterbury, died June 11, 2014, at Sava Healthcare at Bride Brook in Niantic. The World War II veteran had no surviving relatives.

Farwell said the library was contacted by an attorney representing Guty’s estate who said the man left “half his estate” to Otis Library. That turned out to be $3 million.

“I do recall Mr. Guty,” Farwell said Wednesday. “He used to visit the reference sections regularly, mostly on Fridays, and would go straight to the stock reports. And he would study those and sometimes would talk to the staff. He seemed to be studying the stock reports and how they were doing compared to his portfolio.”

Farwell described Guty as a modest person.

“He alluded to having amassed a sizable estate but was never specific,” Farwell said. “From all appearances he lived modestly and was an unpretentious figure.”

Farwell learned that a former development director persuaded Guty to include the library in his will, but the scale of his generosity and his affection for the library was not known.

Farwell said he at first thought the amount was a typographical error in the will, but it was not.

“We knew he esteemed libraries and Otis in particular, but we were all astounded by his generosity.”

Farwell said the library used part of the gift to immediately pay off the remaining $1.064 million balance on its 2006 loan from Dime Bank that covered part of the library’s $10 million reconstruction project.

The library also will tackle several “deferred maintenance” projects, starting with an upgraded lighting system throughout the building.

Part of the upgrade will be necessary as Otis Library prepares to host a Smithsonian Institute traveling exhibit titled “Human Origins,” which will be housed in the library’s second floor community room this winter.

Farwell said Otis is one of only 19 libraries across the country chosen to host the exhibit.

Farwell said the library will review recommendations made by library patrons in a 2015 survey to see what other improvements should be done with the funds.

Guty’s obituary said he was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of John and Annie Guty. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Army. He had been employed with Union Local #19 as an iron worker.

“He enjoyed the outdoors and the library,” the obituary said.

He was a supporter of the LaFlamme-Kusek Post 15 American Legion, recently making a large donation in support of the American Legion Veteran's Housing Inc. project for homeless veterans in Jewett City.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday