William Cadmus Jr
Age - 96
November 27, 2023
William "Bill" Smalley Cadmus Jr. , 96, of Dover, NH, died peacefully on November 16, 2023, after a period of declining health.
As a World War II Veteran, supporter of Disabled Veterans, and an active community advocate, you could always find Bill watching football or a baseball game in his World War II cap.
Born in Newark, NJ on April 28, 1927, he was the son of Wilma Grace Tier and William Smalley Cadmus Sr. His early childhood was spent in Yonkers, NY. At the age of 11, Bill's family moved to Chatham, NJ where he attended the Peddie School and graduated from Chatham High School. Bill was then drafted into the Army.
During WWII from 1945 to 1947, Bill was reassigned from Infantry to Signal Corps headquarters of SHAEF in Frankfurt/Main where he rose to rank of Sergeant.
Upon honorable discharge, he joined an office furniture business in New York City, NY.
In 1948, Bill married Barbara Stitt (Lizotte) and had four children.
During a family camping vacation in New Hampshire, the Cadmus' fell in love with the state and decided this was the best environment in which to raise their children.
In 1964, Bill purchased lake property at Swanzey Lake, originally the summer estate of Denman Thompson. With a partner, developed the property to what is now the Swanzey Lake Camping Area where Bill operated it for 34 years before retiring to a home he built in Walpole, NH.
The West Swanzy Museum is the beneficiary of many artifacts donated by Mr. Cadmus from the Denman Thompson summer home at Swanzey Lake.
Bill was appointed to the Cheshire County Soils Conversation Commission and his campground was often used for tours by conservation officials pointing out how good planning and sound environmental practices protected our resources.
Bill was keenly aware of the need to protect Swanzey history and he participated in many civic needs. He helped raise funds for the construction of Friendship Hall at the Congregational Church in Swanzey Center.
When a fire destroyed the Potash Bowl Amphitheater, Bill headed up the fundraising to rebuild it. Bill was also a contributor to the rebuilding of the Slate Covered Bridge in Westport.
Bill founded another firm in 1967, making diamond drills and blades that were sold to fabricators and contractors.
In 1972, William Cadmus married Whitney Foster Tobias and helped raise her two children and their son.
Through his many business interests, he still found time to perform genealogy research and was able to trace his Dutch ancestry back to 1663 when they first settled in New Amsterdam (Manhattan).
Mr. Cadmus was a Compatriot of the NH Sons of the American Revolution. He was a retired Jr. Vice Commander of Keene Post 21 Disabled American Veterans. He was also a member of Walpole Post 77 of the American Legion.
In 2020, after a long relationship, Bill married Kathryn Kiely in Walpole, NH.
Survivors include his wife, Kathryn H. Kiely; his daughters, Barbara Jane O'Brien and her husband, John of Swanzey, NH; Virginia Lee Dunnell and her husband John of Keene, NH; his sons, William Smalley Cadmus III and his wife, Susan of Gilsum, NH; Richard Tier Cadmus and his wife, Pamela of Troy, NH; Derek Jacob Cadmus and his wife, Laura of Park Ridge, IL; stepson Christopher Tobias and his wife, Elaine of Charlestown, NH; stepdaughter, Sara Tobias and her husband, Jason Jacksack of Littleton, CO; stepdaughters, Kathy Kiely, Teri Kiely-Forrest, and Ellen Allen and her husband, Troy, all of Fort Myers, FL; stepsons, Tim Kiely and his wife, Kate of Kennebunk, ME; Sean Kiely and his wife Sarah of Dover, NH.
Grandchildren; Laura O'Brien Payne of Auburn, MA; Lisa O'Brien Sawyer of Franklin, MA; Jason Dunnell of Keene, NH; Jack Dunnell of Keene, NH; Erica Cadmus Cozart of Edgewood, NM; Jacob Cadmus of Los Angeles, CA; Abraham Cadmus of Flagstaff, AZ; Eloise Cadmus of Keene, NH; Brandon Cadmus of Venice, FL; Jennifer Cadmus of Troy, NH; Emily Cadmus and Theodore Cadmus of Park Ridge, IL; Marion Tobias and Sage Tobias of Littleton, CO; Anthony Stavrou and Kimberly Pierce of Claremont, NH. Plus many great grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene, NH. A private interment service will be held in the family burial plot at Mountain View Cemetery in Swanzey, NH.
The family respectfully requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in William Cadmus' memory to Wounded Warriors Project (https://www. woundedwarriorproject. org/) and the Monadnock Humane Society (https://monadnockhumanesociety. org/).Show more
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