DUMMER, George Hutchinson
Loving and Devoted Husband, Father & Grandfather
George Hutchinson Dummer, 96, of Wellesley died June 3, 2022, at his home of 56 years. He leaves his wife of 58 years, Mary Martha (Goodwin) Dummer; sons David Andrew of Maryland, Steven Goodwin (Judi) of Ashland, and Douglas William (Kristen) Dummer of Dover; grandchildren Lauren Mary, Timothy James, Andrew, William, and Harry Dummer; niece Linda (MacIver) Boisvert; nephew William MacIver; half-brothers William (Robin) and Scott (Margaret) Dummer; and extended family.
George was born May 28, 1926, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to the late Jean (Hutchinson) and Ronald Dummer. His sister, Eleanor (Dummer) MacIver, and half-brother, Charles Dummer, predeceased him.
George grew up in Newton. He graduated from Harvard College in 1948 and Harvard Law School in 1950. From 1950-1952 he served as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Philip (DDE498) and saw duty in Hawaii, Korea and the Strait of Formosa. George then worked at the Ford Motor Company and the Los Alamos National Laboratory before launching his 37-year career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs.
While at MIT, George was active on the National Council of University Research Administrators and the Council on Government Relations, for which he testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Research, and Technology. He received NCURA's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 in Washington, DC for his contributions to the fields of university research administration and intellectual property law.
George enjoyed a long, active and healthy retirement. He traveled with Mary, the love of his life, from the Canadian Rockies to New Orleans and points in between; visited England at the time of Princess Diana’s death; cruised the Mediterranean; and sailed along the Rhine. George volunteered for numerous groups, including the Retired Men's Club of Needham, the Wellesley Council on Aging, and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Above all, he loved celebrating every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and special occasion surrounded by family. Summer gatherings in Chatham and Hyannis were a favorite family tradition.
George was especially admired for his sage advice, humility and wit. He could find a way to make you laugh even during the toughest times. He gave 100% to every project, large and small, and was known as an exceptional conversationalist whose affable nature put everyone at ease. He will be forever remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather.
Visiting Hours: 5:00 to 8:00 pm on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington Street, Wellesley. Funeral service at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 79 Denton Road, Wellesley, at 11:00 am on Friday, June 10, 2022. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley.