William Ames Obituary
Published by The Brattleboro Reformer on Jan. 26, 2022.
William "Bill" Schoonmaker Ames died at home with his family in Northfield, Massachusetts on January 16, 2022, at the age of 88 after a period of failing health brought on by COPD. Originally from Winnetka, Illinois, Bill was the second of three children of John Dawes Ames Sr. and Charlotte Schoonmaker. The Ames family has deep roots in Chicago, but Bill went in a very different direction. His life was dedicated to service and the preservation of rural properties and enterprises - a fragile and vulnerable natural resource. Bill's interest in the outdoors was ignited in 1944 at age 11 when he spent the summer at Ralston Creek Ranch outside Golden, Colorado. This remote working ranch lacked all modern conveniences; there was no electricity, refrigeration, telephone, or grocery stores. He and the other boys and girls had to grow, raise, slaughter, and cook everything they ate. Bill went back to that ranch every summer for the next 12 years and ran it between the ages of 17 and 20 while the owner's sons were serving in the Korean War. As a young man in Colorado, Bill learned the importance of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and conservation -- values he came back to repeatedly during his life. Bill attended Deerfield Academy and was a third-generation graduate of Princeton University where he played on the National Championship Lacrosse Team and majored in Soviet and Chinese History. At Princeton, Bill joined the ROTC and graduated as a Second Lieutenant which qualified him for pilot training with the newly formed United States Air Force. First in his training class, Bill became a USAF fighter bomber pilot flying the F-100 "Super Sabre," the first aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound in level flight. Thankfully, he was never called upon to fulfill his mission which was the delivery of nuclear weapons. Bill returned to Chicago in 1961, married Laura Fairbank, and had three beautiful daughters. After they divorced, he moved back to Colorado where he met his second wife, Nancy Hood. Shortly after their wedding in 1972, Bill and Nancy moved to Nancy's home state of Massachusetts where they acquired Alderbrook Farm in West Boxford, and together they adopted two sons from Bogota, Colombia. The first of three different farming operations they ran, Alderbrook was a production hay and cordwood farm, and home to garden plots for urban families to grow their own produce. Although Bill's diverse professional journey included human resources, consulting, venture capital, and investment banking, farming and land conservation were always his passion. Bill went back to school in his forties and obtained an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Bill served on the Board of Thompson Island Outward Bound, an island sanctuary in Boston Harbor that fosters leadership training and outdoor education. And Bill served on the Board of Mount Grace Land Trust, helping put 32,000 acres in Central Massachusetts into Conservation Trust, including four of his own properties. When Bill retired for the last time in 2005, they moved to Alderbrook Meadows Farm in Northfield where they raised sheep, goats, and chickens, cared for by Maremma Livestock Guardian Sheepdogs. In 2018, he donated land to create Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gunnery Sergeant Jeffrey S. Ames Accessible Nature Trail, honoring his son who served in the United States Marine Corps for 22 years. Bill had a high level of energy, curiosity, and optimism. He fly-fished, played golf, and went skydiving when he was 78 years old. In addition to being a pilot and a railway buff, Bill had a Charterboat Captain's License, sailing to Bermuda and later across the Atlantic to Spain. For nine years, Bill and Nancy lived on their 50-foot sailboat in Boston Harbor. Choral music was a passion; Bill and Nancy sang together in the Newburyport Choral Society for 18 years, and in the Brattleboro Community Chorus for three years. Bill loved bacon, cherry pie with vanilla ice cream, and to eat at roadside diners. He was convinced that he invented the BLT! Bill was especially proud of his family. His last trip was just before the pandemic; he traveled by train to Chicago to visit his children and grandchildren. Bill is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, , as well as his five children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Bill cherished his friendship with Bill W. for 46 years. Bill was a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he served on the Vestry and on the Adult Forum Planning Committee. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate toSt. Michaels Episcopal Church(stmichaels-vt.org) in support of their refugee resettlement program or to theMount Grace Land Conservation Trust. A celebration of Bill's life will be held in the spring. Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave. is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences please visit www.kidderfuneralhome,com.
Published by The Brattleboro Reformer on Jan. 26, 2022.
William "Bill" Schoonmaker Ames died at home with his family in Northfield, Massachusetts on January 16, 2022, at the age of 88 after a period of failing health brought on by COPD. Originally from Winnetka, Illinois, Bill was the second of three children of John Dawes Ames Sr. and Charlotte Schoonmaker. The Ames family has deep roots in Chicago, but Bill went in a very different direction. His life was dedicated to service and the preservation of rural properties and enterprises - a fragile and vulnerable natural resource. Bill's interest in the outdoors was ignited in 1944 at age 11 when he spent the summer at Ralston Creek Ranch outside Golden, Colorado. This remote working ranch lacked all modern conveniences; there was no electricity, refrigeration, telephone, or grocery stores. He and the other boys and girls had to grow, raise, slaughter, and cook everything they ate. Bill went back to that ranch every summer for the next 12 years and ran it between the ages of 17 and 20 while the owner's sons were serving in the Korean War. As a young man in Colorado, Bill learned the importance of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and conservation -- values he came back to repeatedly during his life. Bill attended Deerfield Academy and was a third-generation graduate of Princeton University where he played on the National Championship Lacrosse Team and majored in Soviet and Chinese History. At Princeton, Bill joined the ROTC and graduated as a Second Lieutenant which qualified him for pilot training with the newly formed United States Air Force. First in his training class, Bill became a USAF fighter bomber pilot flying the F-100 "Super Sabre," the first aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound in level flight. Thankfully, he was never called upon to fulfill his mission which was the delivery of nuclear weapons. Bill returned to Chicago in 1961, married Laura Fairbank, and had three beautiful daughters. After they divorced, he moved back to Colorado where he met his second wife, Nancy Hood. Shortly after their wedding in 1972, Bill and Nancy moved to Nancy's home state of Massachusetts where they acquired Alderbrook Farm in West Boxford, and together they adopted two sons from Bogota, Colombia. The first of three different farming operations they ran, Alderbrook was a production hay and cordwood farm, and home to garden plots for urban families to grow their own produce. Although Bill's diverse professional journey included human resources, consulting, venture capital, and investment banking, farming and land conservation were always his passion. Bill went back to school in his forties and obtained an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Bill served on the Board of Thompson Island Outward Bound, an island sanctuary in Boston Harbor that fosters leadership training and outdoor education. And Bill served on the Board of Mount Grace Land Trust, helping put 32,000 acres in Central Massachusetts into Conservation Trust, including four of his own properties. When Bill retired for the last time in 2005, they moved to Alderbrook Meadows Farm in Northfield where they raised sheep, goats, and chickens, cared for by Maremma Livestock Guardian Sheepdogs. In 2018, he donated land to create Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gunnery Sergeant Jeffrey S. Ames Accessible Nature Trail, honoring his son who served in the United States Marine Corps for 22 years. Bill had a high level of energy, curiosity, and optimism. He fly-fished, played golf, and went skydiving when he was 78 years old. In addition to being a pilot and a railway buff, Bill had a Charterboat Captain's License, sailing to Bermuda and later across the Atlantic to Spain. For nine years, Bill and Nancy lived on their 50-foot sailboat in Boston Harbor. Choral music was a passion; Bill and Nancy sang together in the Newburyport Choral Society for 18 years, and in the Brattleboro Community Chorus for three years. Bill loved bacon, cherry pie with vanilla ice cream, and to eat at roadside diners. He was convinced that he invented the BLT! Bill was especially proud of his family. His last trip was just before the pandemic; he traveled by train to Chicago to visit his children and grandchildren. Bill is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, , as well as his five children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Bill cherished his friendship with Bill W. for 46 years. Bill was a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he served on the Vestry and on the Adult Forum Planning Committee. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate toSt. Michaels Episcopal Church(stmichaels-vt.org) in support of their refugee resettlement program or to theMount Grace Land Conservation Trust. A celebration of Bill's life will be held in the spring. Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave. is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences please visit www.kidderfuneralhome,com.
William Ames Obituary
Published by The Brattleboro Reformer on Jan. 26, 2022.
William "Bill" Schoonmaker Ames died at home with his family in Northfield, Massachusetts on January 16, 2022, at the age of 88 after a period of failing health brought on by COPD. Originally from Winnetka, Illinois, Bill was the second of three children of John Dawes Ames Sr. and Charlotte Schoonmaker. The Ames family has deep roots in Chicago, but Bill went in a very different direction. His life was dedicated to service and the preservation of rural properties and enterprises - a fragile and vulnerable natural resource. Bill's interest in the outdoors was ignited in 1944 at age 11 when he spent the summer at Ralston Creek Ranch outside Golden, Colorado. This remote working ranch lacked all modern conveniences; there was no electricity, refrigeration, telephone, or grocery stores. He and the other boys and girls had to grow, raise, slaughter, and cook everything they ate. Bill went back to that ranch every summer for the next 12 years and ran it between the ages of 17 and 20 while the owner's sons were serving in the Korean War. As a young man in Colorado, Bill learned the importance of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and conservation -- values he came back to repeatedly during his life. Bill attended Deerfield Academy and was a third-generation graduate of Princeton University where he played on the National Championship Lacrosse Team and majored in Soviet and Chinese History. At Princeton, Bill joined the ROTC and graduated as a Second Lieutenant which qualified him for pilot training with the newly formed United States Air Force. First in his training class, Bill became a USAF fighter bomber pilot flying the F-100 "Super Sabre," the first aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound in level flight. Thankfully, he was never called upon to fulfill his mission which was the delivery of nuclear weapons. Bill returned to Chicago in 1961, married Laura Fairbank, and had three beautiful daughters. After they divorced, he moved back to Colorado where he met his second wife, Nancy Hood. Shortly after their wedding in 1972, Bill and Nancy moved to Nancy's home state of Massachusetts where they acquired Alderbrook Farm in West Boxford, and together they adopted two sons from Bogota, Colombia. The first of three different farming operations they ran, Alderbrook was a production hay and cordwood farm, and home to garden plots for urban families to grow their own produce. Although Bill's diverse professional journey included human resources, consulting, venture capital, and investment banking, farming and land conservation were always his passion. Bill went back to school in his forties and obtained an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Bill served on the Board of Thompson Island Outward Bound, an island sanctuary in Boston Harbor that fosters leadership training and outdoor education. And Bill served on the Board of Mount Grace Land Trust, helping put 32,000 acres in Central Massachusetts into Conservation Trust, including four of his own properties. When Bill retired for the last time in 2005, they moved to Alderbrook Meadows Farm in Northfield where they raised sheep, goats, and chickens, cared for by Maremma Livestock Guardian Sheepdogs. In 2018, he donated land to create Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gunnery Sergeant Jeffrey S. Ames Accessible Nature Trail, honoring his son who served in the United States Marine Corps for 22 years. Bill had a high level of energy, curiosity, and optimism. He fly-fished, played golf, and went skydiving when he was 78 years old. In addition to being a pilot and a railway buff, Bill had a Charterboat Captain's License, sailing to Bermuda and later across the Atlantic to Spain. For nine years, Bill and Nancy lived on their 50-foot sailboat in Boston Harbor. Choral music was a passion; Bill and Nancy sang together in the Newburyport Choral Society for 18 years, and in the Brattleboro Community Chorus for three years. Bill loved bacon, cherry pie with vanilla ice cream, and to eat at roadside diners. He was convinced that he invented the BLT! Bill was especially proud of his family. His last trip was just before the pandemic; he traveled by train to Chicago to visit his children and grandchildren. Bill is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, , as well as his five children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Bill cherished his friendship with Bill W. for 46 years. Bill was a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he served on the Vestry and on the Adult Forum Planning Committee. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate toSt. Michaels Episcopal Church(stmichaels-vt.org) in support of their refugee resettlement program or to theMount Grace Land Conservation Trust. A celebration of Bill's life will be held in the spring. Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave. is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences please visit www.kidderfuneralhome,com.
Published by The Brattleboro Reformer on Jan. 26, 2022.
William "Bill" Schoonmaker Ames died at home with his family in Northfield, Massachusetts on January 16, 2022, at the age of 88 after a period of failing health brought on by COPD. Originally from Winnetka, Illinois, Bill was the second of three children of John Dawes Ames Sr. and Charlotte Schoonmaker. The Ames family has deep roots in Chicago, but Bill went in a very different direction. His life was dedicated to service and the preservation of rural properties and enterprises - a fragile and vulnerable natural resource. Bill's interest in the outdoors was ignited in 1944 at age 11 when he spent the summer at Ralston Creek Ranch outside Golden, Colorado. This remote working ranch lacked all modern conveniences; there was no electricity, refrigeration, telephone, or grocery stores. He and the other boys and girls had to grow, raise, slaughter, and cook everything they ate. Bill went back to that ranch every summer for the next 12 years and ran it between the ages of 17 and 20 while the owner's sons were serving in the Korean War. As a young man in Colorado, Bill learned the importance of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and conservation -- values he came back to repeatedly during his life. Bill attended Deerfield Academy and was a third-generation graduate of Princeton University where he played on the National Championship Lacrosse Team and majored in Soviet and Chinese History. At Princeton, Bill joined the ROTC and graduated as a Second Lieutenant which qualified him for pilot training with the newly formed United States Air Force. First in his training class, Bill became a USAF fighter bomber pilot flying the F-100 "Super Sabre," the first aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound in level flight. Thankfully, he was never called upon to fulfill his mission which was the delivery of nuclear weapons. Bill returned to Chicago in 1961, married Laura Fairbank, and had three beautiful daughters. After they divorced, he moved back to Colorado where he met his second wife, Nancy Hood. Shortly after their wedding in 1972, Bill and Nancy moved to Nancy's home state of Massachusetts where they acquired Alderbrook Farm in West Boxford, and together they adopted two sons from Bogota, Colombia. The first of three different farming operations they ran, Alderbrook was a production hay and cordwood farm, and home to garden plots for urban families to grow their own produce. Although Bill's diverse professional journey included human resources, consulting, venture capital, and investment banking, farming and land conservation were always his passion. Bill went back to school in his forties and obtained an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Bill served on the Board of Thompson Island Outward Bound, an island sanctuary in Boston Harbor that fosters leadership training and outdoor education. And Bill served on the Board of Mount Grace Land Trust, helping put 32,000 acres in Central Massachusetts into Conservation Trust, including four of his own properties. When Bill retired for the last time in 2005, they moved to Alderbrook Meadows Farm in Northfield where they raised sheep, goats, and chickens, cared for by Maremma Livestock Guardian Sheepdogs. In 2018, he donated land to create Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gunnery Sergeant Jeffrey S. Ames Accessible Nature Trail, honoring his son who served in the United States Marine Corps for 22 years. Bill had a high level of energy, curiosity, and optimism. He fly-fished, played golf, and went skydiving when he was 78 years old. In addition to being a pilot and a railway buff, Bill had a Charterboat Captain's License, sailing to Bermuda and later across the Atlantic to Spain. For nine years, Bill and Nancy lived on their 50-foot sailboat in Boston Harbor. Choral music was a passion; Bill and Nancy sang together in the Newburyport Choral Society for 18 years, and in the Brattleboro Community Chorus for three years. Bill loved bacon, cherry pie with vanilla ice cream, and to eat at roadside diners. He was convinced that he invented the BLT! Bill was especially proud of his family. His last trip was just before the pandemic; he traveled by train to Chicago to visit his children and grandchildren. Bill is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, , as well as his five children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Bill cherished his friendship with Bill W. for 46 years. Bill was a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he served on the Vestry and on the Adult Forum Planning Committee. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate toSt. Michaels Episcopal Church(stmichaels-vt.org) in support of their refugee resettlement program or to theMount Grace Land Conservation Trust. A celebration of Bill's life will be held in the spring. Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave. is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences please visit www.kidderfuneralhome,com.
Gravesite Details
Cremated remains were scattered within this memorial garden, specific location unknown.
The plot number denotes the plate number on the memorial plaque located in the church entryway.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
