William F. Dohrmann III ’57

Bill died Jan. 14, 2018, peacefully in his home in Stonington, Conn. He was 82.

Bill attended the Hotchkiss School from 1949 to 1952 and the Lawrenceville School from 1952 to 1953. At Princeton he majored in English literature and was a member of Ivy Club. He attended the advanced management program at Harvard Business School in 1975.

An avid sailor, Bill learned in northern Lake Michigan’s cold waters and later became a sailing master at Northport Point, in Northport, Mich. In 1968 he was one of the five-man crew of the Compass Rose, a 49-foot Dutch ketch making its maiden voyage from Africa to Antigua, a trip navigated by the stars. Bill kept a log of the trip, which combined his delight in both language and the sea, punctuated by his jaunty sketches and wry humor.

Bill began his career in advertising in Chicago. In 1968 he moved to the Boston area to work in research and development for the game and toy industry. In his years at Parker Brothers and Hasbro, Bill discovered and developed hundreds of games — among his legacy are the Nerf Ball and Boggle. His creative, gentle, and generous way made him beloved by all who worked with him.

Bill was a reader of history, philosophy, and literature, and reviewed many works as a contributing editor of The Readers Exchange. He quoted poetry by heart and knew every lyric of the standard American songbook. Among his most vivid qualities were his sense of humor and infectious laugh.

In 1989, Bill married Linda Ritchey Post, and they lived in Canton and Stonington, Conn. He was a member of the Misquamicut Club in Watch Hill, R.I.; the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club, and the Wadawanuck Club, also in Stonington. A good shot, he loved hunting ducks and upland game with his dog at heel.

In 2002, Bill survived an aortic aneurysm, which left him in a wheelchair. Despite this devastating blow, Bill always felt lucky to be alive and approached every day of these past 15 years with grace and gratitude. Aided by the love and care of Linda, Bill’s life was rich, and through friends, reading, travel, and a positive approach to the world marked by wonder, curiosity, and laughter, he made sure that his horizons were ever vast.

In addition to his wife of 28 years, he is survived by three children — William, Natalie ’87, and Ross — from his first marriage to Jane Bosworth Bingham; and 12 grandchildren.