Hunnewell, Willard Peele of Wellesley died on November 7, 2022 at the age of 101 less than one mile from where he was born, on June 1, 1921. Willard graduated from Saint Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire in 1939, which is also where he proudly led the alumni parade at his 80th reunion in 2019. Following St. Paul’s School, he attended Harvard University, and graduated in the class of 1943 with a degree in chemistry. He served our country in the Navy during World War II as a navigator on Landing Ship Tank vessels (LST 219 and 327) supporting amphibious operations in the invasion of Italy in 1943 and Pacific islands in 1944 and 1945.
A horticulturalist and businessman, Willard owned and ran Apco Mosberg, a company that designed and manufactured precision instruments for the scientific, jewelry and automotive industries before retiring in 1978. He then pursued many scholarly, horticultural and environmental interests.
A past president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the co-recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Dendrological Society, Willard had a profound interest and deep knowledge of horticulture which manifested throughout his lifetime. As an arborist, Willard had an interest and expertise in Rhododendrons and Magnolias, which he propagated and sold at his annual plant sale. Willard followed his ancestors’ footsteps who collected and imported different species of plants into the U.S. and helped found the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. While in his nineties he led an effort with Wellesley College students to identify, record, and map many of the different tree species which are found in Wellesley. Willard continued to enjoy the Arboretum, attending “Tree Bombs”, lectures and supporting the Arnold Arboreturm Hunnewell Summer Internship Program. Willard also volunteered for several decades, collecting water specimens for analysis of algae growth in Lake Waban and other local environmental projects, including for the Charles River Watershed Association. Until recently, Willard could often be found working in the garden, in the bushes pruning, or on his knees weeding in Wellesley or at the Eliot Church in South Natick.
An avid beekeeper, Willard kept multiple hives of bees on his property and enjoyed caring for them. He loved Wellesley, where he was always surrounded by many cousins and relatives spanning generations, and the various family traditions.
Willard had the opportunity to travel extensively in his lifetime, during which he enjoyed learning about and meeting different peoples around the world. Favorite adventures included a canoe trip down Egypt’s Nile River, meeting headhunters in Borneo, watching the king of Bhutan play basketball in Thimphu, and exploring world class gardens in Ireland and around the world.
Whenever possible, he loved any activity involving his children and grandchildren, whether it be travel or simply chores around his home, time with family was his favorite.
Willard was predeceased by his wife Dorothea “Dee”, and survived by sons, Willard, Jr. (Kim) of Edina, MN and George (Rebecca) of Sherborn MA, and six grandchildren (Johnathon, Christopher, Nicholas, Jessica, Richard and William). A private burial will take place at the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, MA. A memorial service to be held at the Eliot Church, 45 Eliot Street, South Natick, MA on Saturday, December 10, at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, he would appreciate a gift to the Eliot Church or to the Arnold Arboretum.