The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 18, April 30, 2006, Article 3

WILLIAM S. DEWEY MEMORIAL SERVICE

David Gladfelter writes: "About 60 of William S. Dewey's
family and friends attended his memorial service at the
First Congregational Church in River Edge, Bergen County,
New Jersey, on April 23, 2006. Bill, noted collector and
writer about the historical medals, tokens and paper money
of New Jersey and the medals and mementos of his distant
relative, Admiral George Dewey, died at age 100 earlier
this month at the nursing home where he had lived the past
4 years.

In attendance were both of Bill's children, William E. Dewey
and Autumn Owens, all six of his grandchildren and all 10 of
his great-grandchildren. The service, like Bill himself, was
very upbeat as speakers recalled his warm family relationships,
engineering career, volunteer activities, numismatic pursuits,
love of music and family history. Afterward, there was time to
visit, eat and browse Bill's photo albums, publications, awards
and news items.

Among the last named was a December 1937 article about Bill
taking charge of some 600 books belonging to the American
Numismatic Association and working up the collection into a
lending library operated out of his home. The family allowed
interested persons to take away some of Bill's award plaques
as remembrances of him.

His children said that although confined to a wheel chair while
in the nursing home because of a fractured hip, his mind remained
clear. Most days he dressed like the professional he was, in a
jacket and tie and occasional jaunty cap.

I had the pleasure of working with this remarkable man on the
last article he wrote, 9 years ago, about the rare paper money
of the Bergen Iron Works in Lakewood, Ocean County, New Jersey.
In that article we described and illustrated all of the five
known specimens, in all denominations. Since that time, only one
additional specimen has turned up. He took great pleasure in
being thorough."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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