L. WARE WILLIAMS of Hingham, died on Thursday, Jan. 8th, 2009 at his home several days after his 91st birthday. Christened as Leonard Ware Williams, but known to his family and friends as "Ware" he was born in Wellesley Hills, MA. A graduate of the Roxbury Latin School and a member of the Harvard Class of 1942, he served in the Navy during World War II. During the Invasion of Normandy in 1944, he served aboard the minesweeper Nuthatch, which cleared mines for troop carriers landing at Omaha Beach. He married Alice Pinkham of Brookline in 1942 just before he enlisted in the Navy. After the war he took over his father's insurance business, bought a house in Hingham, which overlooked the harbor, and raised 4 children with his wife Alice. He taught Sunday School at the Old Ship Church in Hingham. He also was active in Children's Theater in Hingham and once sat down to a formal Sunday dinner with his family in his Tin Woodman's makeup and costume, since he did not have time to change for the two o'clock performance of the Wizard of Oz. He enjoyed sailing throughout his life beginning with his boyhood days on Cape Cod and always kept a sailboat just offshore from the house for weekend sailing trips. He was an avid gardener and maintained flower and vegetable gardens at his home well into old age.
On July 5, 1970 at the age of 52, he and Alice were sailing of the Weymouth Back River and the mast of their sailboat hit a low lying high-tension wire. The shock caused his heart to stop. Showering sparks fell on the boat, and set his shirt on fire. Alice dowsed the flames and restarted his heart by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation thus saving his life and extending their time together for another 39 years.
In later life, Ware devoted his time to his family, and served as a Trustee of The Roxbury Latin School, where he attended his 71st class reunion. He was a deacon of the Old Ship Church and was co-chairman of his 50th and 65th Reunion Committee at Harvard College. He enjoyed maintaining his home and did much of the practical maintenance work himself. In the summer, he and Alice enjoyed sailing on Cape Cod, and making trips to Martha's Vineyard.
He is survived by his wife Alice, his son Peter of Lynnfield, a daughter Wendy of Hull, a son Lincoln of Beverly and a daughter Margaret of Hingham. He is also survived by 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be conducted on Saturday, Jan. 24th at 11 AM at the Old Ship Church (Unitarian), 107 Main St., Hingham, MA 02043.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to The Roxbury Latin Scholarship Fund, 101 St. Theresa Ave., West Roxbury, MA 02132 or to the Old Ship Church. The interment is to be private.