SEARSPORT – Professor Edward Keene True, who was born July 12, 1915, in Hyde Park, Boston, passed away quietly Nov. 8, 2007, at his home, at the age of 92. He was the son of Edward Payson and Laura Keene (Darling) True. Mr. True attended Hyde Park High School until the family moved to Concord, Mass., in 1929, after which he enrolled in Concord High School. From 1932 to 1934, he attended Chauncy Hall School Boston, then entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, graduating in 1939 with a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering. On Aug. 31, 1940, he and Mildred Louise Richenburg of Roslindale, Mass., were married in Roslindale, Mass. Mildred and Edward met at MIT, where she was also a student in architecture. After two years as an instructor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon, Mildred and Ed returned to Massachusetts in 1942, taking up residence in Boston. In 1944, they moved to Concord, Mass., where, after a short stay in a small house on Church Green, a house which was built by an ancestor of Mildred in 1635, they moved to the house at 10 Wood St., now 62 Wood St., which they had purchased from his parents, this being the house where Edward grew up. Later, Edward and Mildred designed and built a house on Commerford Road, Concord, Mass., living there until 1987 when they moved to their summer home in Searsport, having enlarged and winterized it for a year-round home. Prior to Mildred’s death in 2000, Edward and Mildred spent winters in their small home in Port Orange, Fla. During World War II, Edward worked as a mechanical engineer at Raytheon Mfg. Co., designing radar equipment for the Navy. After the war, Edward received an appointment as associate professor of architecture at Harvard University School of Design. He remained at Harvard for 31 years and retired as a full professor in 1976. While at Harvard, Edward worked as a consulting engineer for several local architects, including Walter Gropius. Expansion of this consulting work resulted in Edward forming a partnership in 1959 with Richard Souza, MIT ’48. This firm became Souza, True & Partners, Inc. and Edward served as president of this firm from 1970 until retiring in 1987; he continued as chairman, a position he held at the time of his death. Edward’s service for the town of Concord, Mass., began with his taking on the part-time position as building inspector, an unpaid job taking about one day a week. His interest in building and zoning led to his election to the planning board, where he served two terms, 1954-1958, one as chairman. Later he served on the board of appeals, 1959-1966; chairman 1959-1961; and finally served two terms, 1970-1976, on the board of selectman, where he was chairman, 1972-1973. While in Concord, Mass., Edward served several years on the board of trustees and the board of investment at the Middlesex Institution for Savings, which later became Middlesex Savings Bank of Concord and Natick, Mass. Edward’s wife Mildred, to whom he was married for 60 years, predeceased him. In 2004, Edward and Barbara Gillette were married and they lived in Naples, Fla., and Searsport. Barbara provided love and companionship for Edward, and lovingly cared for him during his final illness. Edward was predeceased by his brother, Robert Payson True, 1917; sister, Anna Holt Bell, 1972; and granddaughter, Laura Frances True, 1972. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; and sister, Thelma Nims of Michigan; four sons, Edward Bartlett True and wife, Ella, of Merrimack, N.H., Robert Payson True and wife, Sandra, of Sarasota, Fla., Navy Capt. Peter Keene True and wife, Patti, of Jacksonville, Fla., and James Duncan True and partner, Tony Brooks, of Newark, N.J.; his stepdaughter, Carol Mantia of Naples, Fla.; several grandchildren, including Kath-leen Massallo of Colorado Springs, Colo., Edward True of Manchester, N.H., Payson True, Ethan True and Thomas True of Jacksonville, Fla., Jon-Peter Smith of Quincy, Mass., Gordon Smith of Portsmouth, N.H., and Susan Lendrum of Exeter, N.H.; also great-grand-children, including Edward Thomas True of Manchester, N.H., Peter Harrison, Jonathan Folsom and Parker Samuel Len-drum of Exeter, N.H., and Zoey Beatrix Smith of Quincy, Mass. Calling hours will be held 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, at Searsport Congregational Church, Church Street, Searsport, with a funeral service immediately after at the church. Interment will be in the family plot at Hope Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Waldo County Hospice, 119 Northport Ave., Belfast, ME, 04915 or Hope Historical Society, Route 105, Hope, ME 04847. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Young Funeral Home 31 West Main St., Searsport.
EDWARD KEENE TRUE
