|
|
|
SHOREHAM - Wilson Gilmore MacIntire, 75, passed away at his home in
Shoreham, Vermont on March 14, 2010. He was born in Binghamton, NY on
February 24, 1935 the son of Frank Edgar MacIntire, Jr. and Maranda
Bohn MacIntire. He married Susan Maureen Holt in Homer, NY on
December 16, 1961. He farmed in Cortland, NY on his family's dairy
farm until 1976 when he moved his family to Vermont.
Wilson graduated from Homer H.S. and Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He was currently, chairman of the South Lake 15, Champlain Trust, chairman and principal grant writer of the Newton Academy Restoration Corporation, and chairman of Tri Town Water. He is a past president of the Shoreham Historical Society. He was chairman of the Shoreham Tennis Committee and raised $92,000 in grants and donations to build two lighted tennis courts on the Shoreham Common. Since his retirement from Cargill as an animal nutritionist in 2000, he taught tennis to the Shoreham school children and also many adults in Shoreham as "a game for life." Wilson was a board member of the Counseling Service of Addison County, a past president of Community Associates and helped organize the Addison County Association for Retarded Citizens in 1977. He was a Boy Scoutmaster in Cortland Co, NY from 1958-1976. During that time period he was Cortland County Farm Bureau President, Homer, NY selectman, a certified cattle judge and inseminator, Cortland County Fair chairman, and chairman of the All State Awards for the New York State Holstein- Friesian Association. Wilson is survived by Susan, his wife of 48 years, his sons Gregg Alan MacIntire, Bruce Lee MacIntire and wife Dawn, daughter Jenna Lynne MacIntire and grandchildren Jared Lee MacIntire and his wife Jessi, Caitlin Elizabeth MacIntire and Meagan Lee Ann MacIntire. He is also survived by a brother, Frank E. MacIntire III, five sisters, Grace Gardner, Sarah Kostrna, Susan Kolesinskas, Frances Wrana and Mary Berg. He was predeceased by his son Brant Wilson MacIntire. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 27th, 2:00 p.m. at the Congregational Church in Shoreham. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Newton Academy Restoration Corporation in care of Nick Causton, 1342 Smith Street, Shoreham, Vermont.
Sue MacIntire |
I first met Wilson some 22 years ago at the Middlebury Recreation
Park, where he had signed up for Drop-In tennis. Wilson had first
been introduced to tennis as a teenager, when his family lived for two
years on an estate, which had a tennis court. Now 40 years later,
Wilson wanted to get back into to tennis and was looking for tennis
partners, so he could improve his game.
Wilson became involved in our little Middlebury "Tennis Anyone Committee," and before you knew it, Wilson was the president of our twice-a-year tournament committee. When Middlebury Indoor Tennis opened its doors Wilson promptly became an active member, and when we started senior drop-in tennis Wilson brought in people from the Shoreham area and introduced them to the game he loved. In 2000 when Wilson retired, he started a USTA After Schools Program at the Shoreham Elementary School, which he ran every spring through 2009 with the assistance of committed adults. He purchased a portable tennis net and used the gym in bad weather, and the basketball court for outdoor play. The kids ages 1-6 grade had tennis lessons twice a week for six weeks. After the last lesson of the season Wilson, with the help of Sue, had a tennis party for the kids. Last year, although Wilson was not able to teach himself, he made lessons plans and drills for other adults to help them in teaching and observed the lessons. Wilson wanted his community to have their own tennis courts, so he put together The Shoreham Court Committee, wrote grants to match in-kind and private gifts, and with USTA and state grants Wilson's committee raised the necessary funds of $92.000 in 2008 less than two years after fundraising started. The Shoreham tennis courts got frequent use immediately after they were built, which included junior and adult tennis lessons and evening round robins, as well as casual play. Due to Wilson's foresight of adding lights to the courts, people can play late into summer evenings and do. Thanks to Wilson's promotion of tennis in his community Shoreham players are frequenting Middlebury Indoor Tennis in the winter. "Center Court" at the club has just been named "MacIntire" in memory of Wilson. He will be sorely missed by all of us.
Kirsten McEdward |
|
Wilson MacIntire, 1935-2010. The tennis scene in Addison county and beyond lost a valued citizen on March 14. Just for example, in 2006 Wilson received the USTA-NE Volunteer of the Year Award for leading the project to build two courts in Shoreham with private funds, for starting team tennis in Middlebury, and offering free beginner training. MIT Spring Newsletter March 21, 2010 |
MacIntire honored SHOREHAM Wilson MacIntire is gone but far from forgotten in his hometown of Shoreham, a community that last week conferred two posthumous honors upon one of its foremost civic volunteers. Town selectmen confirmed the two tennis courts located behind the local elementary school will henceforth bear MacIntire's name. The board also named MacIntire, who died on March 14, Shoreham's "citizen of the year" in recognition of the many civic and philanthropic efforts he pursued on behalf of the town.
Addison Independent |
Shoreham Courts Renamed
Susan and Jenna MacIntire at "Wilson's Courts." |
| FALL 2005 | |
| Government grant (Buildings and) grounds | $3,000 |
| ALL 2006 | |
| Fundraising evening MIT | $3,000 |
| In Kind | $25,000 |
| Individual gifts | $37,000 |
| Government grant (Buildings and) Grounds | $6,500 |
| USTA National Grant | $2,500 |
| USTA Sectional Grant | $15,000 |
|
The USTA Citation: VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR - VERMONT Wilson MacIntire of Shoreham: For exposing many Shoreham-area residents to tennis, conducting beginner-to-intermediate training sessions, and for leading the civic project to build two state-of-the-art outdoor courts in Shoreham with privately donated funds. |
 |
On occasion, he makes the trip to Middlebury College so
the kids can be on some bona fide courts. Enough! You've got it!
In early 2005, MacIntire initiated a project to build two tennis courts
on town-owned property behind Shoreham Elementary School.
With the help of other volunteers, such as Deb Kelly who assists
Wilson on the court, the project now has the support of the community,
the town fathers, and the school board.
Like MacIntire, the community now recognizes the need for tennis
courts --- the wonderful after school program, increased numbers of
adults playing tennis, and today's emphasis on exercise and the
benefits of a healthy lifestyle. To date, thanks to the hard work of
Wilson MacIntire, $20,000 has been raised for the project and two
tennis courts are in the process of becoming a reality in the Vermont
hamlet of Shoreham.
MacIntire is a longtime USA League Tennis player and has been the
captain of a 3.0 Men's team for a number of years.
MIT Spring Newsletter
March 2006