CRUM William Colyer Age 64, of Weston, passed away on September 17, 2022. He was born on December 27, 1957, the son of M. Colyer Crum and Lois (Dodd) Crum formerly of Weston, MA. Bill was a loving husband to his late wife, Susan (Wey) Crum.
In his early years, Bill was a competitive chess player, enjoyed playing bridge and squash, had 3 tanks for tropical fish, and developed a life-long love of Golden Retrievers, based on his first dog, Monelle.
Bill played the trumpet in the Harvard Marching Band and met his wife, Susan, at a mixer with Wellesley College in 1976. Bill and Susan were married for 37 years and made Weston their home.
Recognized for his affinity for academics from an early age, Bill was moved ahead 2 grades during elementary and grade school and later distinguished himself by attending Philips Exeter Academy for high school and earning 3 degrees from Harvard University. Bill earned a Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, in History from Harvard College, and was one of the first to do a combined JD/ MBA program to earn degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School.
Bill was Head Teaching Fellow for an undergraduate course at Harvard College while doing his graduate work and after graduation spent a year as an Associate Fellow at Harvard Business School. He then worked as an associate at Temple, Barker and Sloane for several years before joining SunLife of Canada as a planning officer. Bill spent most of his career working at SunLife of Canada, taking on increasing responsibility and working on strategic planning and budgets.
Later, Bill started a dog walking and boarding business called Weston Woof Walkers. This gave him a chance to spend more time with his Golden Retrievers and to meet many other four-legged friends. Susan and their dogs were also frequent participants and ribbon winners at Obedience and Rally dog shows. Bill and Susan were proud of their beloved dogs Winston, Scout, Trooper, Pagey, and Strider.
Bill was a life-long and knowledgeable fan of classical music and a devoted fan of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. He was a movie buff with an encyclopedic recall, often referencing movies and specific lines within movies to make a point. As an example, referring to his wife, Susan, he said, “Basically, she ‘had me at hello’, as the famous line from Jerry McGuirre goes.” His witty comments were usually short and right to the point.
He was predeceased by his loving parents M. Colyer Crum and Lois (Dodd) Crum. He is survived by his brother Richard Crum, his sisters Nancy (Crum) Ferry and Wendy (Crum) Bennet, and brother-in-law Dr. Philip D. Wey and sister-in-law Amy (Wey) Turner. He is also survived by his siblings’ and in-laws’ spouses and 12 nieces and nephews.
There will be a private memorial and interment in the new year at Woodlawn Cemetery in Wellesley, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill’s memory to the Golden Retriever Foundation, or WBUR 90.9 NPR Public Radio at Boston University. Online guestbook at www.gfdoherty.com George F. Doherty & Sons Wellesley 781-235-4100.