Arnold W. Hunnewell was a lawyer in Boston, but his other pursuits took him far afield from the confines of his office. Among his many talents, he loved photography and constructed his own dark room in the graceful, French-style house in South Natick that his parents built in 1930. Mr Hunnewell, who was the first chairman of the Conservation Law Foundation, died on March 19, 2019. He was 91.
Born in Boston, Mr Hunnewell grew up in South Natick on a family estate that hugged a quiet stretch of the Charles River. He lived there for some eighty years, having raised his own family there as well. With few exceptions, he spent his weekends tending his garden, plowing snow, splitting wood and burning brush piles with evident glee. While he often characterized these efforts as “messing about the place,” he had a deep understanding of trees and flowering plants, dedicating himself to the care of azaleas, rhododendrons and dogwoods growing about the house in South Natick. Well into his 80’s, he continued doing so with a vitality of a man half his age.
In 1964, he married Rosalind Lawrence of Dover and they lived in Westwood until 1974. As a father with three children attending the school, he served as trustees chairman of Dedham Country Day in the late 1970’s. During those days, he inspired affection among teachers and staff as he often parked his red army Jeep right on the sidewalk at the entrance. Standing at nearly 6-foot-3, the sight of him hopping out in his three-piece suit on the way to work and striding cheerfully through the school was a welcome one.
A distinguished conservationist, Mr Hunnewell helped found the Conservation Law Foundation, serving as first Chairman from 1966 – ‘71. At the vanguard of efforts to defend a public interest in the environment, the group is thought to be the oldest environmental law organization in the country. In the town of Westwood, he helped steer the Westwood Conservation Commission, while also serving as Town Counsel. Indeed throughout his life, Mr Hunnewell worked to advance the cause of conservation and protection of natural places for the benefit of all.
After graduating from Harvard in 1950, he climbed the Matterhorn with three close friends. In keeping with his healthy sense of humor, he announced the success of the two-day climb in a telegram sent to Parliament in the UK, where a distant relative was a member of the House of Lords. The congratulatory reply came, just as irreverently, that The Times of London had reports of stray cats making the ascent in less time.
As an alumnus, Mr Hunnewell was a prominent figure in the Porcellian Club, also known as the P.C., a men’s final club at Harvard founded in 1791. He was also a member of the Rats, where he reveled in the value of simply having fun, rendering stories to a boisterous roomful of his fellow members. A confident raconteur, he loved the convivial atmosphere of both the P.C. and the Rats, and many friends remarked that Mr Hunnewell had missed his true calling and should have been a stage actor.
Nevertheless, he truly loved his chosen profession. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1953, he served in the Navy for several years and was a Lieutenant officer on an aircraft carrier, the USS Randolph. He then practiced law in Boston for more than fifty years, forming countless friendships with other lawyers and retiring in 2009 at the age of eighty two.
An accomplished and passionate sailor, in 1983 he sailed across the Atlantic from Gibraltar to Antigua with friends, whom Mr Hunnewell described as excellent sailing companions, “even if they went to Princeton.” But it was earlier adventures that forged his love of boats. He spent many summers sailing the Downeast coast of Maine with his uncle, Robert Amory, in an Alden-designed schooner called Heart’s Desire. Mr Hunnewell wrote about those cruising days with verve in a guide penned just for his children, in which he carefully described the ins and outs of little-known harbors and hidden coves, many with colorful sounding names that he loved.
Shortly after they were married, he sailed with his wife, Rosalind, into one such beloved anchorage. When they tucked in for the night, the boat gently dug her keel into the soft mud of Maine’s coastal inlets and, as the tide went out, heeled over about 20 degrees. Mr Hunnewell often told the story of making a drink for her and watching it careen gaily across the galley table into her lap. He said, “I knew to get off the boat at that point.”
At a young age, his children grew accustomed to the phrase, “I love your father,” as so many in Mr Hunnewell’s universe remarked the same, whether they were old friends or local shop-keepers in his community, who simply met him on his frequent haunts, driving to and fro in an old farm truck on the weekends.
In addition to his wife, Rosalind, he leaves a son, Arnold W of South Natick; a daughter, Amory Julian of Cohasset; another daughter, Robin Hunnewell of Somerville; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 5 at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Dedham. Relatives and friends kindly invited. In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy may be made in Arnold’s memory to the Massachusetts Audubon Society, 208 South Great Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773.