James H. Thayer, 88
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. - James H. Thayer, 88, of North Main Street died peacefully Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, at his home.
Born in North Adams on June 17, 1923, the son of Clifford Ray Thayer Sr. and Edna Hinkelbein Thayer, he was raised in West Haven, Conn., and graduated from West Haven High School. His summers were spent at the family farm in Readsboro, Vt., where he developed a love for hunting, fishing and the mountains.
A veteran of World War II, he served in the 874th Airborne Engineers in the Pacific theater, spending time in New Guinea, the Philippines and Australia. Following his discharge in 1945, he attended the University of Connecticut at Storrs, worked for two years at General Electric in Pittsfield and then attended the University of Vermont in Burlington, graduating in 1952 with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering.
Mr. Thayer worked as a seismic geologist for Standard Oil Co. in Texas before settling in Lanesborough and rejoining GE in relations and utilities. He retired after 33 years of service.
His passion for engineering and problem solving led him to become a pioneer in the field of environmental engineering and GE's first manager in that field. Mr. Thayer and his team developed environmental cleanup systems that pre-dated the promulgation of federal and state environmental laws. His designs won patents for GE in the late 1960s and early 1970s and became the inspiration for many state-of-the-art technologies still in use today. He was honored as a Steinmetz Award nominee for his inventive talent and expertise and his involvement in the identification and remediation of the GE site in Pittsfield was heralded by national and local press, earning him the title of "Mr. Clean."
He received an award from the Audubon Society in 1969 for his environmental work. Recognized as an expert in the field of remediation, Mr. Thayer traveled the country providing consultation on waste cleanup. Following his retirement in 1988, he formed James H. Thayer and Associates Inc., a civil engineering consulting business, which he ran for 10 years in both Massachusetts and Florida.
Mr. Thayer was active in local politics and civic activities. He was a selectman, presiding over the town's bicentennial in 1965 with his fellow selectmen and was a member of many other boards over the years. He was chairman of the Lanesborough Republican Committee and campaign manager for his sister Ruth Thayer Alexander who was the first woman in Massachusetts to run for state Senate. A charter member of the Lanesborough Lions Club, he later left the organization in protest over their management of a commercial motocross track in town. He remained interested and involved with his community, using his engineering expertise to warn against the design and construction of the original Berkshire Mall road before it was built. He also had been a member of American Legion Post 446.
A committed steward of the land, Mr. Thayer and his wife, the former Barbara Ann Caldwell, started one of the earliest tree farms in the state, which they managed predominantly for timber and wildlife. He also volunteered for the Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County.
He and his wife were married on June 24, 1950.
Besides his wife of 61 years, he leaves two daughters Aimee Elizabeth Thayer and Deborah Ruth Thayer, both of Lanesborough; two sons, Edward James Thayer of North Adams and Paul Robert Thayer of East Boston; and his brother, Ray Thayer of Readsboro.
He was predeceased by his brother Robert Trow Thayer, who died in WWII, and his sister Ruth Elizabeth Alexander.
FUNERAL NOTICE - A private service for Mr. Thayer will be held at the cemetery for family and friends.
Calling hours will be held Sunday, Oct. 16, from 2 to 4 at Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North Adams. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Massachusetts Forest Landowners Association or the Lanesborough Ambulance Enterprise Fund in care of the funeral home.