John English

John Philip English of Yarmouth Port, MA died at the Mayflower Place Nursing Center on March 6, 2012 at the age of 101. Born on May 13, 1910 in Haverhill, MA, he was the son of Philip and Edwina (Bessie) Fernald English. He was a 1928 graduate of Governor Dummer Academy, Byfield, MA. He graduated Williams College in 1932 and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1938. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve active duty in the Pacific from 1941-1946 and at the Pentagon from 1950-1952, retiring with the rank of Commander.

As a young man, Mr. English worked as a reporter, copy editor and feature writer for the Boston Herald from 1934-1941. After the Second World War he was an editorial writer for Fawcett publications and served as a White House press correspondent for one year. He served as assistant executive director for the United States Golf Association from 1949-1959. Later he moved to Williamstown, MA to become Alumni Secretary, and director of annual giving and public information from 1959-1975. He retired in 1975 and moved to East Orleans, MA.

Mr. English served Williams College as president of the Westchester County (N.Y.) Association, 1957-1958; secretary and governor of the Williams Club (New York City), 1957-1958; treasurer and governor of the Williams Club, 1958-1959; secretary of the Society of Alumni of Williams, 1960-1975. He was awarded the Rogerson Medal in June 1971.

In retirement he was involved with Cape Abilities (formerly Nauset Inc) as a volunteer and then as a Director, 1979-1984, and 1990-1996, and also serving as president of the Board from 1993-1995. He was president of the Pochet Property Owners Association from 1977-1979, served on the Board of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History from 1977-1982, served as president of the Williams College Association of Cape Cod from 1977-1987; served on the Vestry of the Church of the Holy spirit, Orleans, MA from 1979-1984; served on the Board (1984-1989) and as chairman of the Cape Cod Community College Foundation from 1986-1987. He was a founding director of the Community Foundation of Cape Cod and served that organization from 1987-1993.

Golf was his life for most of his years, and he served as president of the Allied Gold Clubs of Berkshire County (MA) from 1966-1967;President of the Hickory Shafts from 1969-1970;pPresident of the Massachusetts Golf Association from 1971-1972; president of the Taconic Golf Club, Williamstown, MA from 1972-1975; and Executive Committee of Eastward Ho Country Club from 1976-1979. He was presented the Isaac B. Grainger Award in 1995 for more than 25 years of “dedicated service as a volunteer” to the United States Golf Association.

One of Mr. English’s proudest achievements in recent years came in 2002 with his essay on the history of golf in Massachusetts in A Commonwealth of Golfers: 1903-2003, celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the Massachusetts Golf Association. He gave an extensive interview to the United States Golf Association in 2006 for its Oral History Collection.

John Philip English is survived by two daughters, Chris English LeBeau of Kansas City, MO; Sara English of