Frederic Ballou Viaux, “Ted” of Needham MA, Jackson NH, and Nantucket, former President of Garland Jr. College Boston, died peacefully at his home surrounded by his family on Dec. 26, 2004. Mr. Vioux was a lifelong educator, ecologist and humanist. He was the son of the late Frederic Ballou Viaux and Maude Bethune Viaux and the great great grandson of Hosea Ballou, the Founder of the Unitarian-Universalist Church. Born May 8, 1917, he attended the Longwood Day School of Brookline, where as a ten year old, he founded the Brookline Natural Science Museum, housed in Neighborhood Griggs Road basements, and whose newsletters are preserved at the Brookline Public Library. This Museum was the beginning of the establishment of the foremost worldwide Land Snail collection, which Professor Viaux donated to the Harvard Museum of Natural History where it is presently housed.
He continued his education at Noble and Greenough School and was graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard College in 1940 and First in his class with a Masters Degree from Harvard School of Education in 1956.
He lived in Havana Cuba and taught at the Ruston Academy American School where he became fluent in Spanish and met and married his wife of 60 years, Margarita Samayoa de Lerma, Chippie Viaux”. From 1943-46 he was a Lieut. In the U.S. Navy, fighting in the Pacific Theatre, Philippines as a gunnery officer bringing the LST 586 safely through several typhoons. After the war, he returned to Boston and joined the First National Bank of Boston and was assigned to Buenos Aires Argentina as wool industry specialist from 1947-1951. Here he continued to perfect his Spanish and study of Latin Culture as well as teach in the American school of Buenos Aires. He returned briefly to Boston as Director of Fund Raising to create the New Museum of Science under director Bradford Washington. In 1959 he became Dean of Garland Jr. College, which is now the Graduate School of Business of Simmons College in Boston. He was granted full professorship and named President of Garland Jr. College until 1969, when he retired after doubling the enrollment and stabilizing their financial status. Fazal Chowdry, of Cambridge, a former faculty member, described President Viaux as a humble but great, generous, unassuming and energetic leader, full of personal caring. “He was the most important influence in my life over the past 40 years”.
Mr. Viaux continued in education at North Shore Community College and at Middlesex Community College where he was Dean of Resource Development and was awarded Man of the year by the National Community College Resource Development Association. He retired in 1985 but started his own company, Education information Systems which monitored and placed teachers abroad.
E.I.S. sprung out of hid love of world travel and education. He and his wife traveled throughout the world where they funded charities, animals, families, communities and rainforests. When at home Mr. Viaux volunteered on the Audubon Society’s Vernal Pond Projects in Needham and Wellesley and with research projects of the world Wildlife Foundation to protect local endangered habitats. He presented lectures and slide shows advancing the preservation of original history and environments of both foreign and local habitats. He leaves his daughters Margarita Viaux Sullivan,”Mino” of Cambridge, Michelle Viaux Curtin and son-in-law Dr. John A Curtin Jr of Fairfax VA. Grandchildren, Frederic Ballou Viaux “Todd” Sullivan of Ann Arbor MI, John A Sullivan 3rd of Tampa Fl, Courtney Sullivan Homer of Charlestown MA, Christopher Viaux Curtin and Lindsey Ballou Curtin both of Fairfax. Graveside services were/will be held on Wednesday 11;00 AM at the Mt Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge followed by a reception at North Hill of Needham, 856 Central Ave Needham, MA. Arrangements by the Eaton Funeral Home of Needham. Memorials may be made to the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Appian Way, Cambridge MA 02138 or to the National Wildlife Assoc., 11100 Wildlife Center Dr., Reston VA 20190-5362