Obituaries 05-14-2020

Arthur Blasberg, Jr.

January 13, 1928 – May 9, 2020

Arthur Blasberg, Jr. of Boston and East Orleans died peacefully on Saturday, May 9 at his home on the Cape at the age of 92.

Born in Dobbs Ferry, NY on January 13, 1928, he was the son of Arthur Blasberg and Rose (Cohen) Blasberg.  He graduated from The Hackley School in 1945 where he was the captain of undefeated hockey and track teams. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Colby College in 1949 and from Harvard Law School in 1952.

During the Korean War, he served in the US Army as a Legal Clerk in the Judge Advocate Office in Seoul.  Upon returning from Korea in 1955, he worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington DC.  He married Mary Bedell, the love of his life, in 1960 and they were married for fifty-five years until her death in 2015. They had three sons, Neil, Arthur III and John, whom they loved beyond measure. Arthur and Mary were inseparable and their love served as a model for their family.

Arthur and Mary moved to Beacon Hill in 1960 where they were dedicated members of the community for over fifty years.  In 1961, Arthur joined Sullivan and Worcester as its fourteenth employee. As a partner at Sullivan and Worcester, he specialized in corporate law, dedicating the majority of his time to representing the Trustees of the New Haven Railroad in the proposed merger of the Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads.  After leaving Sullivan and Worcester in 1968, Arthur was involved in various business entities including CNA Financial Corp, Healthco and the Quechee Lakes Corporation and ultimately formed an investment group called Boston Partners, which made early investments in Au Bon Pain and Colombo Yogurt Company.

 Arthur spent much of his career leading corporate restructurings and acting as a judge-appointed mediator for companies in receivership. He was a dedicated and valued member of the board of directors of A.W. Chesterton, Michel Associates and Winthrop Realty Trust. In addition to providing counsel professionally, Arthur was a source of sage advice, guidance and support for many friends and family members over the years. 

Arthur had a lifelong love of Cape Cod and spent nearly every summer of his life in East Orleans, and before that, in East Brewster where his parents ran a bed and breakfast called The Chateau on Route 6A.   His passion for gardening was evident at his homes on the Cape. Until the age of 91, Arthur was actively gardening with friends and with his children whenever and wherever his services were in need.

Arthur is survived by his three sons and their wives Mary, Audra and Jeanne. He was exceedingly proud of his grandchildren: Tom, Cassie, Jack, Charlie, Annie, Bradley, Alexander and Amanda.  A great fan of the game of squash, he often could be found cheering his sons, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren at their various matches around New England.  The College Squash Association Lifetime Achievement Award is being named in Arthur’s honor.

The family is deeply appreciative of the dedicated members of the Boston medical community who provided Arthur and Mary with excellent care throughout their lives. Contributions in memory of Arthur may be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Fund at www.bidmc.org/giving “in honor of Arthur Blasberg, Jr.”

A Zoom celebration of his life will take place on Sunday, May 17 at 5 p.m. after which the family will receive visitors.  Information regarding the Zoom celebration can be requested by emailing [email protected].

Sue Williams ‘Sudie’ Schenck

Longtime Beacon Hill Resident

Sue Willams Schenk, known to all as “Sudie,” passed away peacefully on April 27 from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease with her loving husband, Steven Goodwin and caregivers at her side.

Sudie was born in Philadelphia to S. Norman and Nancy Doggett Williams and grew up in Darien, Connecticut. Her father was an executive with Alcoa and her mother was both a successful real estate agent and the President of the Planned Parenthood Association in Connecticut at a time when its mission was not well received by many.

Sudie attended the Low Heywood School in nearby Stamford, to which she maintained a lifelong connection and then continued her education at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro where she received a degree in art history.

In the late 1950’s, Sudie moved to Beacon Hill with her first husband, Garret Schenck, where they raised their three boys, Van, Chris and Trip. Sudie brought her vivacious, daring and mischievous personality to motherhood, epitomized by the Easter egg hunts on Cedar Lane Way and ski trips to Squaw Mountain, ME, which she organized as the informal ringleader of the neighborhood families.

Sudie’s influence on the Beacon Hill Community extended well beyond family fun. Sudie volunteered her time to support many local causes. An avid gardener, she was a devoted member of the Beacon Hill Garden Club for 50 years and opened her home on several occasions for its annual garden tour. She also volunteered at the MFA and for a number of years directed the Ellis Memorial Antique Show to benefit Boston’s first settlement house.

Sudie was an enthusiastic collector of English and early American furniture as well as China Trade paintings and decorative arts. Her exquisite taste and passion for decorating led Sudie to open a successful interior design business on Beacon Hill, in which she balanced her fun-loving nature with her eye for elegance to great effect.

Sudie had a sensational personal style, a wonderful sense of humor, an infectious laugh and a generous heart. A Grande Dame in many of the communities she graced, Sudie will be missed by all.

Sudie was predeceased by her first husband, Garret Schenk and her sons, Van and Trip. She is survived by her husband, Steve Goodwin, her sister ,Ann Williams Winship, her son, Christopher, his spouse, Erica, their children, Forest and Rowena, the wife of her deceased son Van, Michon and their son, Hib.

The family expresses its appreciation to all of Sudie’s doctors, nurses and other health care providers for their skill and devotion in treating Sudie for these many years.

Donations in her memory can be made to Dr. Walter O’Donnell, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Cox Building, Suite 201B, Boston, MA 02114 to support his research and treatment of pulmonary disease.

A service to celebrate her life will be announced at a later date. For information concerning the service or to share a memory or a note of condolence, please visit: wwweatonandmackay.com

Eaton & Mackay Funeral Home, Newton Corner 617-244-2034.

Mariah Reid Daly

Very Involved in the Beacon Hill Community

Mariah Reid Daly was born on January 26, 1943, in Waterbury, CT, and passed away May 3, 2020, at Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA, of COVID related illness.  She was living in Boston at the time of her death, where she resided her entire adult life.

Mariah was the daughter of the late Joseph P. Daly and Kathleen Bergin Daly, and sister of the late Peter B. Daly.  She is survived by her three siblings: Jeremiah J. Daly of Leverett, MA, Kathleen DeAngelis of Middlebury, CT, and Alicia Askenase of Moorestown, NJ. She is also survived by a niece and five nephews, as well as five great-nephews. 

Mariah attended Crosby High School in Waterbury, CT, class of 1961.  She studied nursing at Laboure College, the profession she practiced for 45 years until her retirement.  In addition, she received a Bachelor of Arts at the Radcliffe Institute and Harvard Extension, and a Master’s degree in Education at Lesley University.

Mariah had a great love of the arts, studied pottery and watercolors, and received multiple awards for her work in the Annual Beacon Hill Art Walk.  She was very involved in the Beacon Hill community as a Board member of The West End Branch, and Friends of the West End Branch of the Boston Public Library.  She was a member of the Diabetic Educators of Western Massachusetts and the author of James Has Diabetes, a book for children with diabetes.  Moreover, Mariah was a volunteer art educator for children in after school programs for many years.

Her family plans to have a memorial service sometime in the summer.  Burial arrangements are private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: donate.unicef.usa.org, or the Boston Resiliency Fund, https://www.boston.gov/departments/treasury/boston-resiliency-fund.

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