William Dupont Dahling

WILLIAM DUPONT DAHLING OBITUARY William Dupont Dahling, dear husband, beloved father and father-in-law, proud grandfather and lifelong resident of Grosse Pointe, died peacefully at age 86 on Thursday May 28, 2015. Bill was born on June 19, 1928, the only child of Louis F. Dahling and Catherine V. Dahling. He married Nena Elizabeth Cunningham on July 23, 1955. Bill and Nena raised three sons: William D. Dahling, Jr., Richard P. Dahling and Peter W. Dahling, and welcomed to the family their spouses when Bill, Jr. married Kimberly J. Devlin, Dick married Nancy L. Sanborn and Pete married Caroline B. Davis. More recent years brought Bill the joys of Pete and Caroline's son John Davis Dahling, particularly during visits in California and Michigan. Bill graduated in 1946 from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. In 1950, he received his B.A. cum laude with highest honors in political science from Williams College, where he was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Like his father, Bill served his country in the United States Navy. He graduated from Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island in 1951, and saw three years of duty at sea on his ship, the destroyer USS Perry (DD-844). Bill attained the rank of lieutenant and was qualified for command of patrolcraft vessels. In his professional life Bill worked in Detroit as an Account Executive at J. Walter Thompson Company and as a Trust Officer at Detroit Bank and Trust. He concluded his career as Executive Director of the Center for Creative Studies College of Art and Design (now the College for Creative Studies). Bill cared deeply for Detroit and the Grosse Pointes, volunteering his time and leadership skills on behalf of many organizations. He served as President of the Detroit Association of Phi Beta Kappa and the Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association. He was First Vice Chairman of Planned Parenthood of Detroit. Bill served as Trustee of the Detroit Community Music School and the Center for Creative Studies. He was a co-founder and Trustee of the Grosse Pointe Shores Improvement Foundation and also served as Trustee of the Friends of the Grosse Pointe Public Library. Bill was a Trustee of University Liggett School and served as an Elder at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church. Bill loved his country and the principles on which it was founded. As a thoughtful historian, he engaged in civic and political life with a commitment to the duties and responsibilities of citizenship as conceived in ancient Greece and Rome, for which he had deep respect. Bill was elected a Precinct Delegate (Republican Party) for Grosse Pointe Shores District #2 for four consecutive terms. He was a Trustee of the Free Congress Foundation and supported GOPAC. Bill and Nena strongly support the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and its mission to keep alive the words and deeds of those who founded the United States of America and to remind us all that we have a Republic, if we can keep it. Bill played the piano with effortless flair, often without sheet music. As a member of the Witenagemote Society since 1965, Bill enjoyed the camaraderie and intellectual curiosity of his fellow Witans. While an avid tennis player in his youth, he became an enthusiastic golfer and particularly enjoyed playing with his three sons at the Country Club of Detroit and also on many of Scotland's well-known links courses. As chairman for the year-long celebration of the Country Club's Centennial in 1997, Bill conceived and planned a series of events culminating in a gala celebration in September of that year. A memorial service will be held at the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, 16 Lakeshore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms on Friday June 12th at 11:00 AM. A.H. Peters Funeral Home is assisting the family; interment (private) will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Post Office Box 1776, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187); the Grosse Pointe Shores Improvement Foundation (795 Lakeshore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan 48236); the Alzheimer's Association Greater Michigan Chapter (25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, Michigan 48033); or the Trustees of Phillips Academy (180 Main Street, Andover, Massachusetts 01810).

Funeral Home:

A. H. Peters Funeral Home of Grosse Pointe

20705 Mack Avenue

Grosse Pointe Woods, MI

US 48236