William V. Stevens, 74
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — William Vaughan Stevens, 74, of Lanesborough died on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.
He was the longtime chairman of the Lanesborough Finance Committee.
Born in Portland, Maine, on July 13, 1939, he was the son of Howard Winchester and Ruth Isabel Vaughan Stevens. He was a 1962 graduate of the University of Maine at Orono, with a degree in mechanical engineering and a fifth-year certificate in pulp and paper management.
An Army veteran, he served from 1962 to 1968.
An accomplished licensed professional engineer well known in the pulp and paper industry as an expert in the field of stock preparation, Mr. Stevens was a 26-year employee of Beloit Corp. in Dalton, where he worked as a product designer, systems engineer and sales manager. He also worked 16 years with Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners Inc., also in Dalton, as an engineering consultant, manager and principal.
A noted member of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry, he was past chairman of the Paper and Board Manufacturing Division and the Stock Preparation Committee. He was the author of numerous professional publications on paper refining.
He continued consulting work up until the time of his death: His last project was working with ZanaAfrica to design innovative pulp production to provide affordable sanitary pads for East African girls and women.
For more than 20 years, Mr. Stevens was a driving force at the University of Maine's Pulp and Paper Foundation's Summer Institute, and was a catalyst in developing and growing the program; many young people attended his course, "Intro to Pulp and Paper Science."
During his life, he traveled extensively both with his wife and in his professional career, including as Beloit's products marketing manager in Pinerolo, Italy. He also enjoyed photography, installing a darkroom in his basement, and entering contests and winning awards for his photos at the Berkshire Museum.
An active member of the community, he also coach for Lanesborough girls softball, and was an honorary member of the Girl Scouts for his volunteer work. He was also a ski instructor at Brodie Mountain from 1965 until the area closed, an avid bowler and golfer, and was a downhill ski racer and biker, competing in the New York Master's ski circuit with his friends, Joe Zelenke and Bill Ayer, and racing several years in the Josh Billings Runaground.
He also enjoyed sailing with his father, brother and children in Casco Bay, Maine, and telling stories and "Downeast jokes." He liked solving brainteasers and playing cribbage. He had many strong, lifelong friends, and will be sorely missed by many.
He leaves his of 50 years, the former Jane Maloney; his daughter, Ann Stevens and her daughter, Piper Schulman, both of Adams; his son William V. "Jay" Stevens Jr. and his wife, Kim Todd, and their children Ben and Peregrine Todd, all of Minneapolis, Minn.; his brother, David Stevens and his wife, Marlene Hayes, of Greenland, N.H., and his children Terri and Mike Stevens, both of Maine; his brother-in-law James "Buzz" Maloney and his wife, Paulette, of South Portland, Maine; his nieces and nephews Kristin, Sean, Grace and Liam Flaherty of South Portland, Maine; his lifelong friends, Les Reid of Nashua, N.H., Polly Reid of Lenox, Linda Reid of San Francisco, David Reid of Mesa, Ariz., and Sue Reid of Seattle; and his uncle, Mort Vaughan and his wife, Jane, of Kittery, Maine, and many cousins in Maine, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
FUNERAL NOTICE — There will be a celebration of Mr. Stevens' life at the convenience of his family.
Contributions in his memory may be made to The Howard Stevens Scholarship Fund, University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation, 5737 Jenness Hall, Room 217, Orono, ME 04469-5737; or to "American Friends of ZanaAfrica" at 12 W. 72nd Street, Apt 17B, NY, NY 10023 or at www.zanaafrica.org.
Arrangements by Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals.
Mr. Stevens' family will be forever grateful for the care, kindness and compassion shown by the doctors, nurses, and staff at BMC, 5th floor west.