Shared Memories

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The tennis player and the fisherman by Gay Bossart

Don is excellent tennis player and was competing in the finals of a city tennis tournament on the courts of Amherst College on this very pleasant late afternoon of August 1961. Nine month pregnant me was watching the game sitting on the side of this hill leading down to the campus tennis courts with 15 month old Kent and Dick and Shirley Harding (neighbors and minister of Wesley Methodist Church; Don was associate minister). The tennis match is close and Don is winning. And the labor pains commence! I don't want to interrupt Don in such an important game -- but we better do something soon. So Dick, Shirley, Kent and I start up the big hill to their car to go home and get ready to go to the hospital in Northampton. My bag is packed already. Dick left a message with another spectator to tell Don we had all left early and he should hurry home after the game.

By the time we arrived home, the pains were more intense and closer in time. Shirley took care of Kent, and I called my doctor, Dr. Weeks, immediately to tell him it was time to go to hospital. "He is not available now I'm very sorry," says his wife Bev. "He has gone fishing and quite far away." (No cells phones 50 years ago.) Bev volunteers to jump in the car (good thing the Weeks had two) and try and locate him by some river (lake?) and tell him to get to hospital to meet me, as I am ready to deliver a baby. Bev found him, Dr. Will went right to Cooley Dickinson and arrived at the same time as Don and I did. We three rode up in the elevator together: I in a wheel chair and the guys on either side. Don in his tennis whites and Dr. Will in his fishing gear. I want to sincerely apologize to both men for interrupting their sports and good times to have to take care of me. Alan Dana was born a very sort time later.

The customized sweater by Virginia L. Weeks

I love this photo, especially because I got him that sweater with the black labs on it. He loved it but something was missing. Then he got some yarn and changed one of the labs to Butterscotch (his yellow lab) with her red collar. Problem solved. Classic!

Uncle Willard by John Bergamini

The Uncle Willard that I knew, and will remember, is that proud father of 2 cousins, the complete woodsman, architect and creator of Funland, and laughing little brother that would still tease his older sister given the chance, and the patient (and brave) uncle (with an eternal great smile) that taught both Herbert and I how to use a fly-rod at a rather early age...

The recreation director by March duPont

My fondest recollections of Will are of him in his role as "recreation director" for our many outings, and for his priceless remark as we drove in deep snow on the way to ski: "March, sit here, we need the weight in front."

The Hardy Boys books by Paige Leavitt

The delicious and healthy bounty from his garden is forever in my memories of Will, along with all the photographs of the fruits of his labor. Also, there was the summer I was 10 years old and engrossed in the Nancy Drew series. Will's office was robbed and he so gently humored me as I searched around for clues to solve the case. Of course I never found anything but he had an idea that would console me; to this day I clearly recall following him to the attic and opening a large box that contained his treasured Hardy Boys collection. They were so much more exciting than Nancy Drew! Twenty years later I sat with my son as he read the series and was so thankful to Will for introducing me.

The grace by Dan Weeks

Will often said this short Scottish grace before meals:

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae the Lord be thankit.