Walter J. Cairns

Mr.Walter J. Cairns, of Marblehead, passed away on Thursday, December 22, 2011, surrounded by his family, at the age of 84. Walter was born in Melrose, MA on November 27, 1927, the son of the late Dr. Frank W. and Mary (Spillane) Cairns. He attended Melrose schools, graduating from Melrose High School at age 16. Walter then attended Dartmouth College, where he studied until the end of his junior year, when he entered the Army. He served in the 24th Division in the Occupation of Japan.

After his Army discharge, Walter returned to Dartmouth and received his AB degree in 1949. He continued his studies for two years at Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School and its Thayer School of Engineering, receiving a combined Masters degree in 1951. After graduation, Walter formed a company with a Thayer School faculty member, to develop the first commercial oxy-gasoline cutting torch. He became President-treasurer of Browning Torch Corporation.

In 1955, Walter joined Arthur D. Little Inc. (ADL) to pursue his interest in commercializing new technical developments. He co-founded ADL’s Invention Management group, and was a founder/trustee/secretary of the Licensing Executives Society, an organization with hundreds of members throughout the world. Walter was successful in supporting and licensing many inventions owned by ADL and its clients. He was also awarded five patents over the years. He was made Vice President of ADL, and later became President-CEO of ADL Enterprises, a subsidiary established to encompass ADL’s Invention Management and Venture Capital activities.

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Walter enjoyed playing hockey, tennis, skiing, and roller-blading into his seventies. He continued to play golf into his eighties. He was a member of the Eastern Yacht Club for fifty-one years. He and Mary Lane (Connolly), his wife of more than 53 years, are well known for their racing and cruising accomplishments in a series of yachts named NIXIE. Their annual two month long cruises typically included the Maine coast, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. They also enjoyed spending time exploring the South Coast of Newfoundland.

In addition to Mary Lane, Walter loved to spend time with his five children, four son in-laws, one daughter in-law, and fourteen grandchildren: Susan, Jack, Sarah and Kiley Fischer of Marblehead, MA; Ann, Don, Don Jr., Christine, Jennifer, and Erin Turner of Hollis, NH; Gail, Jack, Jackson, Eliza and Dylan Steele of Swampscott, MA; Jim, Tamara, Finn and Talia Cairns of Minneapolis, MN and Kate, Jamie, Jay, Phoebe and Julie Kellogg of Marblehead.

Funeral services will be private and a remembrance celebration will be held in the spring. Donations may be made in Walter’s memory to the Pleon Yacht Club, 42 Foster St. Marblehead, MA 01945.