William Ewing Speers Jr. ’45

Bill Speers died at the Meadow Lakes retirement community in Hightstown, N.J., Oct. 31, 2006.

After graduating from South Kent (Conn.) School, Bill entered Princeton, following his father William E. Speers ’11. His brother, Robert B. Speers ’49, and son, John G. Speers ’77, also became Princetonians. Bill joined Cloister Inn and rowed on the varsity crew. After earning a bachelor’s in civil engineering, he served with an NCB Seabees battalion in the Philippines.

In 1947 Bill married Eleanor Schroeder and joined the family business, James McCutcheon & Co., in New York City. In 1957, he moved to Princeton and joined Business Supplier Corp. of America. He served as executive vice president until 1970, when he moved to Lancaster, Pa., where he became executive director of the Pennsylvania Educational Assistance Authority. In 1975, he returned to Princeton and joined Bill Sword ’46 in his investment firm until he retired in 1990.

During his retirement Bill was active in Princeton in Trinity Church and the Nassau Club. His interests included education, the outdoors, old canals, and crew. In addition to Eleanor, Bill is survived by his daughter, the Rev. Mary Speers, and his son, John. The class extends its sympathy to the family.