Obituaries | 1940-1949

RICHARD T. WALSH, 90, a group insurance and employee benefits executive, died July 5, 2014. A member of the John Wesley Club, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a navigator, and was aboard one of the lead aircraft sent to liberate France early on D-Day, 1944. After working for several corporations as an executive, he joined INSILCO Corp. as director of personnel, from which he retired in 1986. A collector of fine art and antique automobiles, he was also an accomplished inventor. His first wife, Ruth Morris Walsh, predeceased him, as did a son. Among those who survive are his wife, Betsy Olmsted Walsh, four children, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, his brother, and a large extended family.

GENE E. NOBLE, the co-owner, general manager, and treasurer of the Rutland (Vt.) Daily Herald, died Dec. 2, 2013, at age 89. He was the son of Leroy B. Noble of the class of 1914. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he served in the U.S. Army with the 10^th Mountain Division during World War II. During his 40 years with the Daily Herald, he oversaw many innovations and acquired the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus. He was also active in his community. Predeceased by his wife, June Haseltine Noble, survivors include three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

DAVID L. WILLIAMS, the president of an insurance business, died Nov. 6, 2014. He was 92. A member of Psi Upsilon, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After receiving his degree from Wesleyan after the war, he served for the next 45 years as president of his own insurance business. He received numerous awards and honors in his field. Predeceased by his former wife, Fran Williams, he is survived by his wife, Nancy Young Williams; two daughters; three grandchildren; several stepchildren and their families; his brother, Charles R. Williams ’41; and his nephew, Jeffrey D. Williams ’84.

JOHN W. MAYNARD, an editor and journalist who specialized in educational journalism, died Dec. 10, 2014, at age 91. He was a member of Eclectic and received his degree with honors. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he received a master’s degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism. He was the great-grandson of Elliott J. Peck of the class of 1851, the grandson of John W. Maynard of the class of 1883 and of Susan M. Peck of the class of 1884, and the son of John P. Maynard of the class of 1913. After working as a reporter for The Providence Journal, he moved to Middletown to join the staff of Current Events and Weekly Reader, and became senior editor of the former. He received prizes for excellence in educational journalism. One of three founders of the Mattabeseck Audubon Society, he was an active volunteer in the Middletown community. His wife, Jean Finley Maynard MALS’80, CAS’96, survives, as do three sons, including John P. Maynard ’72, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his sister.

The Honorable STEWART F. HANCOCK JR., 91, an attorney in Syracuse, N.Y., who served for eight years on the New York State Court of Appeals, died Feb. 11, 2015. He was the grandson of Theodore E. Hancock of the class of 1871, the son of Stewart F. Hancock of the class of 1905, the brother of Theodore M. Hancock of the class of 1934, and the cousin of John S. Hancock of the class of 1936. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy and his law degree from Cornell University. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He began his legal career at the firm founded by his grandfather, and he later served for 15 years on the state Supreme Court and its Appellate Division before he was appointed to the Court of Appeals. He later returned to private practice and taught as a Distinguished Visiting Professor and Jurist in Residence at the Syracuse University College of Law. One son predeceased him. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Pass Hancock; five children, including Marion Hancock Fish ’76; 13 grandchildren; his nephew, Stewart H. McConaughy ’65; and his cousins, James L. McConaughy ’68 and Charles E. Hancock ’72. And Elizabeth Hancock Sillin ’77.

ARTHUR L. SNYDER, a retired businessman, died Nov. 11, 2014, at age 93. A member of Psi Upsilon, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He was in the industrial equipment business. Among those who survive are his wife of 71 years, Ellen Tuttle Snyder, four children, eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.