Norman E. Tandy

Norman E. "Pete" Tandy, 81, of Richmond, NH died September 28, 2008, at Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock Keene after a long battle with Parkinson's and CHF. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jean Conkey Tandy; two daughters, Michelle Ryan of Marlborough, NH and Kristen Tandy of Keene; son, Peter Tandy of Keene; six grandchildren, Leah Ryan and Scott Ryan of Marlborough, John Ryan of Dover, NH, Joshua Walsh of London, England, Spence Tandy of Martha's Vineyard, MA and Hilary Tandy at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY. His sister Helen Draper lives in Westmoreland, NH with her husband, Lloyd. Pete was born in Athol, MA to Spencer and Helena (Doubleday) Tandy. Two weeks after his birth, his mother died. At her request, he was raised by her parents, Myron and Elvie (Paige) Doubleday of North Dana, MA, one of the towns obliterated in 1938 by construction of the Quabbin Reservoir. Pete was a graduate of Athol High School, MA and received BA and MA degrees from Michigan State University. He served in the US Army Air Corps and the US Air Force in WWII. He served as Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago, IL, Richmond, VA, and Atlanta, GA, and was proud to receive the 275th FBI "Possible Medal" for proficiency in the Bureau's history. He worked as a social service caseworker while working toward his degree in Michigan. He retired after 27 years as Professor of Psychology at MT. Wachusett Community College, Gardner, MA in 1992. He was competitive in age-group running until debilitated by arthritis and was most proud of finishing the Mount Washington Road Race at age 63 with a time of 2:11.53 He loved wilderness, writing essays and poetry about its beauty and the concern to preserve nature for future generations. He was president of the Monadnock Writer's Group as well as Secretary for several years. He served as an Audubon Society volunteer monitoring peregrine falcons and bald eagles along the Connecticut River. Pete was a charter member of the Richmond Conservation Commission, served as Secretary from 1968 until 2000. To honor his service the Town donated his name to the Monadnock Conservancy, a 305 acre conservation easement on the Harry J. Bennett Town Forest. Close friends and relatives will be notified of a later memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the NH Audubon Society 84 Silk Farm Road Concord, NH 03301; the American Humanist Association 1777 T Street NW Washington, DC 20009; the Parkinson's Disease Foundation 1359 Broadway Suite 1509 New York, NY 10018, or the American Chestnut Foundation PO Box 4044 Bennington, VT 05201.