Priscilla Parsons Finck ’43

 

Priscilla Parsons Finck, 92, died September 22, 2018 at Linda Manor Assisted Living in Leeds, MA. She was the daughter of the late Earle M. Parsons and Marguerite (Proctor) Parsons.

Born in 1926 in Northampton she was the 10th generational descendant of Cornett Joseph Parsons founder of Northampton. She attended local schools and graduated from Northampton School for Girls and Mt. Holyoke College.
Priscilla was a teacher at Leeds School after her children grew up. She is the wife of Richard W. Finck formerly of Florence. They had celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past June.

Survived by her husband Richard; sons Douglas and his wife Cherry, Roger and his wife JoAnne; daughter Marjorie and her husband John; four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. There will be no calling hours. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Czelusniak Funeral Home is in charge.

Gary Higginbottom ’67

Gary Higginbottom, of Bend, Oregon, formally of Portland and Hallowell, Maine passed away of complications from pneumonia, on May 17th, 2018 after four courageous years fighting multiple myeloma cancer. Gary was born on June 18th, 1949 to Marguerite (Striebel) and James Higginbottom in Worcester, MA. He graduated from Williston Acadamy, Middlebury College and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Victoria.

Gary’s passion for the environment, geography and mapping was reflected in his work for the Maine State Planning office, Kork Industries and most recently in his advocacy for alternative energy. Gary was in his element when outdoors where he was often found biking for miles or kayaking rivers, lakes and bays. Always ready for an adventure, Gary traveled many places for work and vacation including Japan, several countries in Europe, Egypt, the Virgin Islands, Abu Dhabi and all across the US and Canada. Gary prided himself on his talent for bringing people of similar interests together to build something larger. He worked tirelessly, most often freely volunteering his time, across political circles and technology landscapes to drive the changes he felt would better the world we live in.

Gary is sorely missed by his son, Jacob Higginbottom of Boston MA, his daughter Rebecca Higginbottom and granddaughter Morgan Dahlman of Painted Post, NY, his sister Christie Higginbottom of Rochdale, MA and by countless nieces, nephews, friends and relatives.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to two wonderful organizations that helped Gary fight his illness: the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation on line at themmrf.org or the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society at www.LLS.org. Checks can also be sent to LLS, 70 Walnut St. Suite 301, Wellesley, MA 02481.

William D. (Oppenheim) Williams ’45

William D. “Bill”/”Opa” Williams was born January 14, 1928 and passed away August 27, 2018 in Hingham, MA at the age of 90.

Bill was the son of Dora Louise Williams of Easthampton, MA and William Oppenheim of Orange, NJ.  Known as William Oppenheim growing up, he was raised by his grandparents, Dr. Edward and Grace Williams and would later change his name to William D. Williams. Bill was predeceased by his wife and soulmate of 49 years, Gertrud (Gerdi) August 8, 2016.

Bill was valedictorian of Williston Academy (1945) in Easthampton, MA. He served as a Corporal in the Army during WWII and was honorably discharged in October 1947. Bill then attended and graduated from Harvard as class valedictorian in 1950. He went on to get his MBA at Harvard Business School and worked many successful years as a chemical analyst for major firms in Boston and New York.

Bill/Opa will be greatly missed by all that knew him, especially his two daughters Alexandra (Shura) Williams and Dr. Hilary (Nina) Williams, her husband Gary Culkins and their children Daisy and Wells.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours Saturday, October 6, 2018 from 12-1 PM at the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), Hingham, followed by a memorial service from 1-2 PM. Burial at Hingham Cemetery to follow.

 

 

Vance E. Boyd ’52

Vance Boyd, 85, of Fredericksburg, VA, passed away on Monday, September 17, 2018.  Born in Springfield, MA on March 30, 1933, Vance was the son of Samuel and Mary Boyd. A graduate of Williston Academy in Easthampton, Vance attended Babson College in Wellesley and received his B.S. in Business.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1956-1958 as Specialist Third Class in the Quartermaster division.  He was owner/manager of the Bailey Wagner chain of furniture stores in the greater Springfield area, which his father Samuel Boyd founded. He went on to develop the Best Rental furniture rental company.
His passion/hobby included horse training, racing and showing – both Tennessee Walkers and Standardbreds/trotters.  He enjoyed trying to learn new musical instruments and was proud of his steel guitar – he was a student of Billy Cooper of Orange, VA and loved his lessons.  His other love included billiards and he was an avid Patriots’ fan. He founded the Billiards Club of Falls Run upon his retirement to that community.
The wake will be on Friday, September 21, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA. Funeral Mass on Saturday, September 22, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 97 South Street, Jamaica Plain. Prayers shall precede Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Internment will be private and at a later date.

Kenneth M. Coleburn ’46

Kenneth Meeker Coleburn died on August 19, 2018, in Redding, Connecticut. He was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, on June 22, 1928, the youngest of three children of Kenneth Meeker Coleburn, Sr. and Emily Eleanor Coley Coleburn.

Ken grew up in Norwalk. He attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, Massachusetts. He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1950.

At Middlebury, Ken met Carolyn Sackett; they married in 1952. They raised their family in Rye, New York, where they lived for 46 years. Ken was a partner and sales manager at Stiles Business Products, selling and maintaining business equipment in Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties. Ken would say that he drove a car for a living. He knew every mile of those counties, and was appreciated by his customers for his strong handshake and extensive knowledge of his adding machines, calculators, and mailing equipment. Instead of business cards, Ken gave his customers seven-inch rulers printed with his contact information.

Ken and Carolyn moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 2000 and then to Meadow Ridge in Redding, Connecticut in 2015.

Some of his favorite hours, from childhood into his seventies, were spent playing tennis with family and friends. While captain of the Middlebury tennis team, and at public courts, Shenorock Shore Club, and Thompson’s Point, Charlotte, Vermont, Ken was well known for both his powerful forehand and his lack of fashion sense on the court. Ken’s talents with a racquet in his hand extended into his 80s. He was still playing, and winning, at ping-pong at 89.

Ken volunteered with Meals on Wheels in both Rye and Ridgefield. He enjoyed bringing good food and good cheer to people who could not shop or prepare food for themselves. He liked to think of his bringing meals to his elderly clients as extending the time they could stay in their own homes by six months. He also volunteered with the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association. He so enjoyed making people happy that after moving to Ridgefield he got a part-time job delivering flowers.

Ken was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He will be remembered by family and friends for his sunny disposition and genuine gratitude for what is good in life.

Ken is survived by his children, William, Jacqueline, Robert, and Carolyn; their spouses, Mary Lou Coleburn, Robert McDonough, Robin Coleburn, and Harry Philbrick; and his four grandchildren, Andrew, Cameron, Kara, and Charlie.