Farewell William D. McGuinness - 280th Engineer

[Walt's Daughter]

This is way overdue. Should have posted this many moons ago. My apologies. It got caught up with some other email and....

 

Oh BTW Ken, through the magic of software, I have corrected the document for you. It now states 11 grandchildren.

 

 

Marlin and Marion:

 

You have both been incredibly kind and thoughtful as I tried to reconnect with Dad's WWII experience. He would not talk about that until very near the end of his life, so everything I am learning now is so incredibly valuable, to be cherished forever. Let me then share with you what wonderful man the T-5 from the 280th turned out to become. There is a typo-11 not 13 grandchildren. My son did the artwork.

 

Marlin, let me know if you want copies of the 280th flag and shoulder crest.

 

 

 

WILLIAM DANNER MCGUINNESS

 

World War II Veteran and former Treasurer of Gulf Oil Corporation

 

William Danner McGuinness died on December 15, 2009, in Norwalk, CT, surrounded by his children. He was born in Manhattan in 1922, to James P. and Marie Danner McGuinness. His mother died when he was 7, but his father was committed to raising he and his 3 brothers, throughout the Depression and its aftermath. He graduated at the age of 16 from Grover Cleveland High School. Bill commenced his undergraduate studies at Brooklyn College, but interrupted his education to volunteer in the Armed Forces, first as a participant in the Army Specialized Training Program, and upon its termination, the 280th Engineers Combat Battalion. He was part of the reconnaissance team in the Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes), the Battle of the Central Europe and the Battle of Rhineland, which included freeing the 25,000 captives at Essen Slave Labor Camp. Bill returned to the US in April 1946 and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1947. He married Catherine F. Murphy, of Brooklyn, NY on June 21, 1947.

 

Bill began his insurance career as an Underwriter for the Loyalty Group prior to joining the army and resumed his career after the war as Safety Engineer for the Flintkote Corporation. He joined the American Management Association and remained involved throughout his career. After Flintkote, he became the Safety Engineer and Assistant Insurance Manager for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey where he remained until 1957. During his career at the Port Authority, he completed his MBA studies at NYU under the mentorship of Peter Drucker. One of his proudest accomplishments was the design and implementation of the Caisson Construction Safety and Loss Control Insurance Program used in building the third tube of the Lincoln Tunnel, resulting in no loss of life for the first time in such a project. In August 1957, he took on the role as assistant insurance manager for Standard Oil of New Jersey. He redefined the role into one of Risk Management. While President of the New York Chapter of the American Society of Insurance Management (ASIM), he spearheaded the name change of its magazine from National Insurance Buyers to Risk Management. He continued his involvement in the society, including the name change to the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS). In 1969, he was very involved in the creation of TOVALOP and CRISTAL which would later ensure there were ample funds for the cleanup of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. That year he was also a member of the 57th class of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University. In 1971 he moved his family to Malaysia to assume the position of Assistant Director of Esso Malay Berhad and was promoted to Director of Finance. Upon his return to the US, in 1974 he left Exxon to become the Risk Manager of Gulf Oil Corporation. While with Gulf, he drove the creation of INSCO, one of the first wholly owned captive insurance companies that accepted 3rd party business. He retired in 1985, as Treasurer of Gulf Oil Corporation, where he oversaw the completion of the Chevron-Gulf Oil Corporation merger.

 

Bill will be remembered as an innovator and leader in the field of risk management and insurance, a great mentor, a generous benefactor who helped many achieve their continuing education goals, and a man who valued ethics in business more than anything else. He was a Bridge Life Master, a SCORE counselor, an avid golfer, and a devoted family man.

 

Predeceased by his wife, Catherine (Kay) Murphy McGuinness, he is survived by his children, Kenneth McGuinness, and his wife, Jeanne Anne Norton-McGuinness of Albany, NY; Monica and her husband, Francis McNally of Lee, NH; Wm. Danner McGuinness, Jr. and his wife, Lorena McGuinness of Albany, NY; and Sheila Wall and her husband Richard Wall, who along with their 2 children, Molyssa and Chris, lovingly shared their home with Bill since 2002. His grandchildren, Matthew, Devon, Alexandra and Patrick McGuinness; Meaghan, Meredith and Catherine McNally; Lawrence and Scott McGuinness and many nieces and nephews also survive him. In addition to his wife, he was pre-deceased by 3 brothers, James, Joseph and Charles.

 

 

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Death Notice to New York Times and local papers

 

William D. McGuinness, of Norwalk, CT, formerly of Huntington, CT, Pittsburgh, PA, and Manhasset, NY, died surrounded by his family on December 15, 2009, at the age of 87. Bill was the loving husband of Catherine (Murphy) McGuinness, who predeceased him. He is survived by his children, Kenneth D. McGuinness, and his wife, Jeanne Anne Norton of Albany and N.Y, N.Y.; Monica M. McNally, and her husband, Francis of Lee, NH; Sheila M. Wall, and her husband, Richard of Norwalk, CT and Wm. Danner McGuinness, Jr. and his wife Lorena of Albany, NY, and 11 grandchildren. Mr. McGuinness was born in New York, NY. He was a graduate of Brooklyn College and received his MBA from New York University. He was a member of the 57th AMP class at Harvard. Mr. McGuinness was a member of the 280th Engineers Combat Battalion in World War II, serving in the Battle of the Bulge and other European campaigns. After the war, he started a long career in insurance and risk management that took him all over the world, including a stint as Director of Esso Malay Berhad. He served in various insurance/finance capacities for the following companies: Flintkote, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Standard Oil Corporation of New Jersey, and subsidiaries, ultimately retiring in 1985 as Treasurer of Gulf Oil Corporation. He was a Bridge Life Master, a SCORE counselor, an avid reader, and loved playing golf with his friends and family at Race Brook Country Club, Orange, CT. He was a devoted family man who, especially in his later years, loved nothing more than spending time with his children and grandchildren. All who knew him will remember his determination, resiliency, educational patronage and passion to always do his utmost. A mass will be held in his honor at 11:30 am on January 9, 2010 at St. Jerome RC Church, Norwalk, CT. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his memory to Running Strong for American Indian Youth at PO Box 670, Raton, NM 87740, the Second Genesis Foundation (a substance abuse facility) at 8611 Second Ave, Suite 300, Silver Springs, MD 20910, or Connecticut Hospice, 1 Park St., Norwalk, CT 06851. If you would like to leave a message for the family, you may do so at www.collinsfh.com.