Dr. Wilfred T. Small ’43

Dr. Wilfred T. Small ’43 died on May 25, 2009, in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

He was born in Boston on June 13, 1920, and prepared for college at Milton High School. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, and was an active member of the Bowdoin Alumni Council. He established the Wilfred T. and Muriel G. Small Scholarship Fund at Bowdoin. He served in the Navy on a Destroyer in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during World War II and graduated from Tufts Medical School in 1946. He served his internship in general surgery at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston and both his research fellowship and assistant in surgery at Children’s and Peter Bent Brigham hospitals. He was assistant resident, resident, and chief resident in surgery at New England Medical Center and Tufts University from 1950 to 1953. In 1950, he also served as a teaching fellow at Harvard Medical School and senior clinical instructor of surgery at Tufts from 1953 to 1960. A general surgeon, he was chief of surgery at Memorial Hospital in Worcester from 1976 to 1982 and had served as president of the medical staff before retiring in 1988. He also was a professor of surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester for several years, and was active in numerous professional associations, including the New England Surgical Society and Massachusetts Cancer Society. He was active in many civic organizations in the Worcester community, including serving as director of the Worcester Boys Club, first vice president of the Economics Club, a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Worcester Art Museum, Historical Society, Heritage Society, County Music Association and Science Center. In 1970, he worked as a surgeon with Project Hope serving in North Africa. A longstanding member of All Saints Church while in Worcester, he was also a member of Community Church in Vero Beach and United Congregational Church in Little Compton. He enjoyed music, competitive bridge and all sports. He was an avid golfer and was a member of the Sakonnet Golf Club in Little Compton, the Tatnuck Country Club in Worcester, the Worcester Club, and the Riomar Golf club in Vero Beach. In Florida, he was on the board of the Visiting Nurses Association of the Treasure Coast in Vero Beach. He is survived by his sons W. Thomas Small Jr., Richard G. Small, James S. Small ’77, and John W. Small ’80; and 11 grandchildren, including Jessie L. Small ’11 and Laura M. Small ’08. He was predeceased by his wife, Muriel G. (Gratton) Small.