[Atmob-announce] FW: Long Time Member Albert Doolittle RIP

[Peter Bealo]

>From Tuesday's Lawrence Eagle Trib:

 

"DERRY - The town this weekend lost one of its "living treasures." 

Albert Doolittle, 93, a respected protector of Derry's rural character,
longtime Conservation Commission member and great-grandfather, died Sunday
morning at his East Derry home after a long illness. He was surrounded by
his family and his wife of 67 years, Edith. The couple originally met
through their fathers, who were roommates at the University of Maine. 

"He waited for me to take his last breath," Edith said last night. "He was
the finest person I've ever met. 

He was kind, gentle and always willing to help someone. And he never said a
bad word about anybody." 

A 1932 graduate of Haverhill High School, Doolittle attended the Thayer
School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. The father of three boys,
Doolittle worked as a civil engineer, and his career took him all over the
country. He worked for NASA, designed research facilities at MIT and helped
build power plants. He was also an avid astronomy buff. 

While he traveled afar, he never forgot about Derry. His father bought a
poultry farm here in 1934. 

In a 2005 interview with the Derry News, Doolittle spoke about preserving
the town's "rural character."

"People say they like the rural character of Derry," he said. "How do you
get rural character? You have to have open space." 

A Conservation Commission member for almost 30 years, Doolittle was
committed to protecting the environment, open space, wetlands and preserving
farmland in town, said fellow member Margie Ives. The two often car pooled
to meetings together.

"He was very interested in protecting farmland. He knew it was disappearing
in the state," Ives said.

In 2005, Doolittle was named one of Derry's 38 "Living Treasures" for
helping make the town a better place to live. Some 95 acres of open space
was also named recently after him. He viewed maps of the preserved property,
and although he was weak, he was "modest and very pleased," Ives recalled.
"It was a precious moment."

Commission members and friends had planned a party with the Doolittles
yesterday to celebrate the couple's commitment to the town and their lengthy
marriage. Ives said she will remember Doolittle as "a man of integrity,
gentleness and fairness."

"We will miss him very much," she said.

His funeral will be held at Unitarian Universal Church in Manchester. His
body will be cremated and scattered over various spots, including Star
Island, off the coast of Portsmouth and various other spots Doolittle
requested, his wife said last night.

"There's a whole list of places," she said. "I'll put a few here and a few
there."

 

 

I'll never forget driving Al to Stellafane maybe a decade or so ago. He
couldn't find another ride and he could no longer drive. All he packed was
about 4 pounds of sleeping bag, 1 man hiking tent and a change of clothes.
I'd guess he was over 80 at that point. Great guy all around, always
cheerful and every word well thought out. They just don't make em like him
anymore.

 

Peter

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