Bill McNamara

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It is with great regret that we announce the recent death of William (Bill) McNamara, who was an IRG member, supporter, sponsor and meeting attendee for many years. Bill died in East Aurora, New York state in the US on April 19, 2024, close to his home for many years, at the age of 83. His wife of many years, Sheila, had died earlier after a long illness, during which time Bill had provided loving care to Sheila.

Bill graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science in forestry, a Master’s degree from the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID in 1964, and a PhD- North Carolina State in Raleigh, NC-1969. He was a college professor at UMass from 1969-1973 and Vice President and Director of Research at Osmose Wood Preserving company in Buffalo, NY (he started out as director of laboratory in 1973 but in 1977 became the VP and Director of Research) Bill worked in this position until 2000 when he retired. He led of team of research scientists who were highly educated colleagues and friends long after his retirement. He was a member of the American Wood Preserving Association (AWPA) and the International Research Group on Wood Protection (IRG). Bill was President of the American Wood Protection Association from 1994-1995, and received the Award of Merit from the AWPA in 2003.

Bill attended 15 IRG meetings between 1980 and 2007, and was Finance Chair and joint leader of the IRG24 Local Organizing Committee for the meeting held at the Grenelefe Resort near Orlando, Florida in 1993. That meeting was held as a tribute to the IRG Vice-President Jeff LaFage, who was murdered in New Orleans in 1989, one week after he had chosen the IRG24 meeting site.

Bill was a hunter and fisherman, loved golf and played some of the most beautiful courses in the world during his travels with his wife Sheila, traveled the world with work to places like Bali, Colombia, Brazil, Spain, England, Ecuador, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and probably more, he loved the North American National Parks (and visited most of them), western movies, history and NC State Football and Basketball.

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This Memorial was written for inclusion with the May 2024 IRG Newsletter.