William Conant Quinby ’41

Bill died at home in Greenwich, Conn., on Sept. 24, 1997, after years of valiant struggling with prostate cancer. Constance Pierce Quinby, his wife of 53 years, survives. Shackleton, Lindbergh, Peary, and Amundson were among his boyhood heroes, and he viewed life as a grand adventure. Conny perfectly supplemented this and shared many thrills at his side.

Born in Newark, Bill prepped at the Academy and Andover. He was a high honors chemistry major and president of Cannon, and played 150-lb. football as a feisty 140-pounder. He commanded PT boats Nos. 66 and 110 in the South Pacific, then, finding this a bit tame, became a submariner on the USS Marlin. He never forsook the sea, and was the navigator on Thor Ramsing's Solution for blue-water races with the NYYC and the CCA--as one of a handful of '41ers who knew celestial navigation.

Bill never spoke much of his business career as a successful salesman for Union Carbide. But he must have traveled a lot, and he and Conny went all over the world--skiing, peak-scaling, and sightseeing. They always took time to write postcards. As our v.p., with Conny's assistance, he made perhaps the finest planner of mini-reunions Princeton ever had.

Other survivors include sons Edward '73 and James; daughters Susan Liu and Elizabeth Monogue; and seven grandchildren. Jim gave the eulogy in Christ Church. We will miss Bill dearly.

The Class of 1941