James Wilmer Wadlow, Jr., 85, of Waterford, Conn., died April 26 at his home.
He was born on July 13, 1923 in North Edgecomb. He was the son of the late James W. Wadlow and Frances Millet Dunphe Wadlow. He was married to Margaret Diana Heatley on July 10, 1954 in the Little Church Around the Corner, in Manhattan, N.Y. At the time they married, Margaret was an employee of the Pfizer Purchasing Department at Groton.
Mr. Wadlow was a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School of Brooklyn, N.Y. and the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, N.Y., class of 1949.
He was a WWII veteran, serving first in Norden bombsight and automatic pilot maintenance for B-17s and B-29s in the Army Air Corps. After completing Medical Administrative O.C.S. in Carlisle Barracks, Penn., he served as Transport Surgeon on the troop transport S.S. New Bern Victory.
After graduation from Brooklyn Technical High School Mr. Wadlow worked for the Warner Institute for Therapeutic Research in New York. After a short period John McKeen, then Asst. Superintendent of Chas, hired him. Pfizer & Co. in Brooklyn where he attended B.P.I at night. He entered the army in 1943, returned to B.P.I in 1946, to complete his education. He then returned to Pfizer, in Brooklyn, transferred to Groton where he was a Chemical Engineer and Assistant Manager in the Antibiotic Recovery and Penicillin Recovery Departments, retiring in 1986 after 42 years.
He was a member of the Civil Air Patrol, serving as Commander of the Groton Squadron, and the Eastern Connecticut Group. He was assigned to the Connecticut Wing, CAP. He was co-founder, and past president of the Thames Valley Flying Club and over the years gave many young people their first flying experiences.
He was Treasurer of the Republican Town Committee for ten years. He was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals and was later elected and re-elected for eight four-year terms. He also served on a Charter Revision Committee in Waterford, Conn.
He was president of the Oswegatchie Colony Association, the Waterford Civic Association and the Eastern Connecticut Chemists and Chemical Engineers Club.
Mr. Wadlow was a member of the First Church of Christ in New London, where he served as trustee, deacon, moderator, on a pastoral search committee, chairman of the parish house building committee and the churches 350th anniversary committee.
He traveled extensively with his wife.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Wadlow is survived by two daughters, Joyce W. Finn of Waterford, Conn. and Kathe W. Yost and husband George P. Yost of Waterford, Conn.; son, James W. Wadlow, III of Waterford, Conn.; three granddaughters, Gretchen Y. Lally and husband Michael D. Lally, Jacquelyn M. Yost, all of Waterford, and Meghan C. Yost of Orlando, Fla.; great-grandson, Christopher M. Lally; and loving friend, Georgina Kyeremah of Worchester, Mass.
Graveside funeral service will be conducted in Edgecomb. The date has yet to be determined.
Memorial donations may be made to the Edgecomb Congregational Church Memorial Fund, Cross Point Rd., Edgecomb, ME 04556; or the Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 531313, Henderson, NV 89053.
