More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
Thursday, June 15, 6pm – 8:30pm
Sneak Peak of the Mansion of Elm Bank — For one night only, the ballroom of the mansion will be viewed from the terrace of the Italianate Garden. Decorated by Stephanie Chlan Interiors,
Enjoy live music, cocktails and delicious hors d’oeuvres
Music by Henry Platt Jazz Quartet (see The Swellesley Report’s interview with Henry)
That monument honoring the work of the late Dr. Joseph Murray, Wellesley’s Nobel Prize-winning physician, that we’ve been telling you about is now installed in front of Wellesley Town Hall. When we swung by, DPW workers were sprucing up the area surrounding the Dr. Murray monument and earlier William T.G. Morton monument.
The man, the myth, the living legend John G. Schuler is scheduled to speak at the Wellesley Men’s Group, sponsored by the Wellesley Service League, at its end of year luncheon on Tuesday, June 6, 11:30am – 1:30pm at the Wellesley Community Center, 219 Washington St. All senior men are invited. Please email or call Helen Goins with any questions at [email protected] or 781-690-7867
If Schuler’s name doesn’t ring a Big Ben-sized bell in your head, let me enlighten you. A lifelong resident of Wellesley, Schuler is a graduate of Wellesley High School, Class of 1949, and went on to Harvard. He was a teacher and chairman of the History Department at Dana Hall School, and has been a Town Meeting member for over 60 years. He’s also served on the Wellesley Housing Authority, the Trails Committee, and the Council on Aging. That list doesn’t even scratch the surface of his many accomplishments; this write up by Wellesley High School graduate’s Kenyon Alexander goes into greater depth. (It’s part of Wellesley Memories, a project created by Wellesley High School students who are working to compile citizens’ memories of town.)
One more cool fact: he keeps a Model T in A-one condition. It’s the one he impressed the girls with at Wellesley High, back in the 40s. These days, the girls are still impressed, but its the grandkids who get to take a spin.
Remembering those from Wellesley who served, on Memorial Day 2017.
Those in Wellesley and beyond are mourning the passing of James N. Marcotte, a Wellesley resident and home renovator/remodeler whose talents were on display everywhere from the PBS series This Old House to the Wellesley Historical Society’s buildings. Marcotte, who was 61, passed away on May 19 after being stricken with AML Leukemia and complications.
I got to know Jim over the past 3 years as a fellow Wellesley Historical Society board member, both at at our meetings and fundraisers. He always greeted me as though we’d known each other forever, and I enjoyed hearing his stories about his place in Vermont, his skiing exploits and his pets. His passion for leading the Historical Society’s efforts to refurbish the Stanwood House at 323 Washington St., to use as its new headquarters was truly remarkable. I don’t know anything about anything when it comes to such matters, but Jim always explained the ins and outs of what was involved in everything from paint colors to ADA compliance to the finer points of construction with equal clarity and enthusiasm. What’s more, Jim and his wife Kimberlee Dow spearheaded the Society’s scholarship program, which since 2008 has awarded 22 scholarships to graduating Wellesley High School seniors.
According to an online obituary posted here, Jim and his wife’s Dovercraft Construction operated in Wellesley for over 40 years. Jim served in assorted leadership roles in his industry and gained some fame when in 1981 when Dovercraft was hired to restore the Bigelow house in Newton for the PBS series This Old House.
A service to celebrate his life will be held at the Wellesley Universalist Unitarian Church 309 Washington St, Wellesley Hills at 1 pm on Thursday, June 8.
A fund has been established to benefit the EM NARI Scholarship Fund. Donations can be made to the James Marcotte Fund c/o Boston Private Bank 336 Washington Street, Wellesley MA 02481. Donations may also be sent to Dana Farber Cancer Institute; DFCI Adult Leukemia Research Fund Attn: Dr Eric Winer Hematologic Malignancies Division Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215.
