NEW BEDFORD — Dr. William Lawrence Jenney of New Bedford and Fairhaven, husband of 64 years to Marjorie Elizabeth (Jason) Jenney passed away peacefully Thursday, Nov. 22, in the comfort of his home after a lengthy illness.
Born June 1, 1920, in New Bedford, he was the son of the late Mildred Edna (Brownell) and William Alexander Jenney. Youngest of three siblings, he survived both his sisters, Charlotte B. (Jenney) Westman and Esther (Jenney) Parlin.
Dr. Jenney graduated with honors from New Bedford High School in 1939, completed his undergraduate work magna cum laude in pre-med at Brown University in 1943 and received his medical degree from Yale University Medical School in 1945. He completed his residency at Hartford Hospital and served in the Navy until 1948. Following this, he returned to New Bedford as a family practitioner.
From 1957 to 1961, he completed a residency at Hartford Hospital in general surgery. Returning once again to New Bedford, he, with the support of his devoted wife, Marjorie, began his long and illustrious practice as a general surgeon.
Throughout his career, he attained numerous benchmarks, including Chief of Staff at St. Luke's Hospital. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, New Bedford Chapter American Academy of General Practice, New Bedford Medical Society and American Board of Surgery. He was an associate professor at Tufts University and Harvard University medical schools.
He retired from practice in July 1987.
A former executive board member and chairman of the religious planning committee of the New Bedford Port Society, Dr. Jenney served as a docent, piloting tours of the Seamen's Bethel for several years.
Long-time members of the American Field Service, Dr. Jenney and his wife hosted several students, including the first AFS student in New Bedford in 1954, Mireille (T'sas) Beernaerts of Lasgne, Belgium; Dr. Anna M. Colli, of Lake Como and Milan, Italy, in 1973; Yasuko Mokuno of Japan in 1974; and Thomas Jopp of Germany in 1975.
Dr. Jenney was an accomplished musician, playing the xylophone, glockenspiel, organ, flute and piccolo. Following his retirement, he played the flute and piccolo in the Dartmouth Community Band and the Tri-County Symphonic Band, where he served as vice-president.
An avid sailor since childhood, Dr., Jenney enjoyed sharing the challenges of Buzzards Bay with his family and friends. Ashore, he took great pride in preserving a working farm in Fairhaven; recalling boyhood lessons instilled on the Lawrence Farm in Portsmouth, R.I.
Survivors include his widow; three children, Claudia Brownell (Jenney) Simpson of Fairhaven, Lisa Morgan (Jenney) Duncan and her husband, John Duncan, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., and William Howland Jenney and his wife, Pamela Gray-Jenney of Fairhaven; six grandchildren, Jennifer Morgan Simpson of Fairhaven, Steven James Simpson of New Bedford, Anna Jean Gray- Jenney, Hailey Mae Gray-Jenney, Laura Frances Gray-Storey and John Thomas Gray-Storey, all of Fairhaven; his brother-in-law and friend David B. Parlin of Fall River; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements are with the Wilson Chapel, 479 County St., New Bedford, with visitation on Sunday from 3-6 P.M. His memorial service will take place on Monday at 11:30 A.M., in Grace Church, County and School Sts., NB.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in his name to the scholarship fund of Tri-County Music Association, P.O. Box 414, Rochester, Ma. 02770. Burial is private.