Byron William Wrigley, Jr. of Mattapoisett, MA, Dania Beach, FL and formerly of Doylestown, PA, died on Friday June 12, 2009 at his home in Mattapoisett surrounded by his family. He was the husband of Laura (Wodock) Wrigley; they had been married for 64 years.
Born in Philadelphia on December 30, 1919, he was the son of the late Irene Fellows Wrigley and Byron William Wrigley, Sr., who was a Justice of the Peace in Doylestown Township for over 30 years. He was a 1939 graduate of Doylestown High School. He attended Penn State and Temple Universities.
Mr. Wrigley was formerly employed as a traffic manager with the Naval Air Development Center in Johnsville, PA for 31 years until his retirement in 1978.
During World War II, he served in the United States Army in North Africa and Sicily under General George S. Patton. He was a member of the Doylestown American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars for 67 years. He was a member for over 50 years of The Salem United Church of Christ in Doylestown. He served as chairman of the Doylestown Borough Youth Recreation Council and member of the Doylestown Borough Park and Recreation Board. He was a member of the War Memorial Field Commission which established and maintained the Athletic fields for Central Buck High School and the Community
An avid sportsman and sport fan, he was the captain of the baseball and football teams at Doylestown High School. He played baseball and football in the Bucks County Leagues, the New Jersey Leagues, the Abington and Cheltenham Leagues, and for the American Legion and Doylestown Moose under Hugo Bezdek, a former manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates and former coach for Penn State and the Cleveland Rams. In 1946 he played football with the Doylestown VFW Champion Team. He refereed in the Chief American Football League Championship game when Joe Namath’s team from Beaver, PA played Doylestown Legion. He officiated for PIAA baseball, football and swimming for over 25 years in Bucks County and Philadelphia areas. He umpired in Philadelphia Suburban League in the game between Abington and Cheltenham High School when Reggie Jackson played and pitched.
Survivors include his wife; three children: Karen Manning, retired teacher, of Mattapoisett, Byron William Wrigley III, retired banking executive, of Dania Beach, and Janice Wrigley, teacher, of Indiana, PA; son-in-law, David Manning of Mattapoisett; three grandchildren: Shannon Leary of Mattapoisett, Jason Yeager of Pittsburgh, PA, and Gregory Yeager of Indiana, PA; grandson-in-law, Angus Leary, Sr.; and two great-grandchildren, Angus Leary, Jr. and Finnegan Byron Leary.
He was the brother of the late Elaine Schweitzer, Irene Kriebel, Jean Rimmer, and Frederick Wrigley.
In accordance with his wishes, he was cremated. There will be a private family service at the Doylestown Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in memory of Byron William Wrigley Jr. to Community Nurse & Hospice Care, Inc., Box 751, Fairhaven, MA 02719. Arrangements were by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.