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Thornton Stearns, 76, of Winchester, Massachusetts, husband of Phyllis Mather Stearns, died December 8, 1998 at the Winchester Hospital. Thornton was born in Barrington, Rhode Island, and was a 1944 graduate of M.I.T. He served in the U.S. Navy as a radar officer aboard the DD USS Young in the Pacific. In 1958 he founded Vacuum Barrier Corporation with his partner, Lewis Thompson, and served as president for 44 years.
Thornton will be remembered for his involvement in numerous organizations, including: the Unitarian Church, the Arthur Griffin Photographic Center, the Pioneer Institute for Policy Studies and Winchester Hospital. In 1966 he was the first recipient of the Winchester Hospital Philanthropist of the Year Award. He was an active member of the Republican Party and served as a delegate to the Massachusetts Republican State Convention in 1990 and 1994. He traveled extensively throughout the world photographing wildlife.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his three children, Virginia and Richard, both of California and Marian of Hawaii; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and a sister, Mary S. Chaffee of Rhode Island.
(The following obituary was written by Alfred's daughter, Nelda Mae Almy.)
Alfred Henry Almy, Sr. died January 7, 1997 at the Arizona Eastern Star Retirement Center in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 69. He was born May 21, 1927 at Vincennes, Indiana, to Harry and Jannie O'Brien Almy. He grew up on the family farm near Vincennes, Indiana where he attended rural school. To his first marriage there were three daughters and one son born.
Alfred moved to Arizona in 1953 where he was employed as a quality control inspector for Airesearch Co. It was at Airesearch that he met Pat Collins in 1969, and they were married April 11, 1970 in Phoenix. Alfred became a member of the Masonic Lodge in 1951 at Sumner, Illinois. He joined the El Zaribah Shrine in Phoenix in 1970 and was a member of the Laurel Chapter of Eastern Star, as well as the Scottsdale Elk's Lodge.
Survivors include his wife Pat, 3 daughters, Sudan Almy Betzer, Nelda Almy Kitchen, Cheryl Almy Cassidy all of Phoenix; 1 son, Alfred Almy, Jr. of Phoenix; 2 step-sons, Steve and Danny Collins of Phoenix; 1 brother Robert Almy of Vincennes; 1 sister, Helen Almy Wood of Henderson, Kentucky; 11 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchilderen. My brother Alfred Almy, Jr. never married, but he has a daughter whose name is Kaylene Dawn Almy, born in Phoenix on February 25, 1986.
My dad was a very lovable and great dad, always there to listen, and lend a helping hand. His whole family misses and loves him dearly.
Captain George Hutchinson, USN Retd., son of Helen K. Hutchinson, and grandson of Sylvia Almy Knowlton, died in August 1998. George was an Annapolis graduate who served with great distinction from pre-WWII to about 1965. After retirement he lived in Annapolis and was very active in sponsoring midshipmen, and also in the MOWW (Military Order of the World Wars) where he awarded perpetual memberships to dozens of midshipmen.
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