Joseph C Segar

He had been in frail health for the last year but remained alert, generous, and as concerned with others as ever in his last days.

He was married to Caroline Coggeshall Segar for 60 years. His sister Barbara Kowalke, sons Mark of Portland, Maine, Tim of Marlboro, Vt., Andrew of West Roxbury, John of Watertown, and Michael of Valley Cottage, N.Y., and their wives, 10 grandchildren, and a large extended family all mourn his loss.

Joe spent a lifetime in education, teaching sixth grade at the Renbrook School in West Hartford, Conn., for many years before becoming the head of Shady Hill School in Cambridge in 1963. During his 26 years as director, he led Shady Hill to be a more diverse and inclusive institution. He took a special interest in the training and cultivation of good teachers. He was dedicated to the faculty members that came to work at the School and to the apprentices who entered the Teacher Training Course while earning graduate degrees at Lesley University. Mr. Segar also oversaw a substantial improvement to the Shady Hill campus while maintaining its essential simplicity.

He served for 29 years on the board of trustees of Wheelock College in Boston, earning an honorary degree from that college in 1995. He later served on the boards of Capabilities of Cape Cod, an organization that serves those with disabilities, and the Sturgis Library in Barnstable.

Joe was born in 1925 in Wilmington, Del., to Anna and Ralph Segar. His early life, like so many others of his generation, was deeply affected by the Depression. He moved to Virginia when his father found work at the Department of the Interior, working for Harold Ickes. He always remembered this as a happy time for him and his sister Barbara, particularly after they moved to what was then rural McLean, Va. There he could join the volunteer fire department, roam the woods with his friend John Hudgins, raise chickens, and hunt with his beloved dog Freckles.

Joe entered the Army right out of high school in 1943, trained in Alabama and California, eventually becoming an instructor at Fort Ord. He was sent to the Pacific in 1944 as a sergeant in the 43rd Infantry Division and was involved in several island campaigns until he was badly injured in fighting on Luzon in the Philippines Jan. 20, 1945. His long recovery process led to meeting his future wife Carol, then a physical therapist at Cushing General Hospital in Framingham. They were married Sept. 13, 1947.

After the war, Joe went to the University of Virginia on the GI Bill and later did graduate work in education at Boston University. He maintained his love of learning throughout his life and fostered the same in his children and grandchildren. As recently as this past winter, he was taking courses online. Joe loved to read and in retirement he took a special interest in American History. His love of this country was informed and profound even when he argued with its policies.

Joe's life was marked by a physical resilience. Despite being paralyzed on his right side, he enjoyed a very active life. His positive spirit helped others forget his disability. He had an abiding love of the ocean. He particularly loved fishing for striped bass with his sons and his friends, Don Lay and George Warren. He was also a longterm member, and for a time commodore of, the Barnstable Yacht Club.

When he and Carol, who also taught at Shady Hill School, retired in 1989, they moved full time to their home in Barnstable, Cape Cod. From there, they traveled and enjoyed family life until Carol died in 2007. Above all things, Joe and Carol Segar shared a love and concern for children and that love was expressed in their family, in their jobs, and in all other parts of their life.

A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Barnstable.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to Shady Hill School's annual fund to support diversity initiatives.