Hugh Taft

Hugh Taft, a resident of Kendal in Hanover NH, died May 3, 2016, peacefully with family at his side.

He was born and raised in Wallingford VT, the youngest of six children of Raymond and Maud Taft. An excellent student at Wallingford High, Hugh earned admission to Middlebury College, class of 1944. He entered their 3-2 program which earned him a BA degree from Middlebury and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1947. His service in the U.S. Navy (Electrician’s Mate) came between his last 2 college years.

Hugh’s first job was with Baxter D. Whitney in Winchendon MA, in 1947. He met the love of his life, Barbara Lee Pauli of Rutland, VT, in 1947; they married in 1949 and remained a devoted couple for 67 years. They moved to Springfield VT in 1950 where Hugh joined Bryant Chucking Grinder Corp. as a mechanical engineer.

Hugh and Barbara were members of the UCC church in Springfield and sang in the church choir for 49 years. Hugh was a member of the Springfield Rotary Club, and an enthusiastic hiker and skier; he and the family were regulars at Mount Ascutney.

In 1960, Hugh left Bryant and joined with two local business partners to form Vermont Research Corp, which became a leading manufacturer of magnetic memory drums for the emerging computer industry. VRC employed several hundred people in their North Springfield plant in a variety of engineering and precision manufacturing jobs for nearly two decades.

In his retirement, Hugh was able to devote more time to his great interest in trees, and cultivated a sizable arboretum on their property. He and Barbara moved to Kendal in 1999.

He is survived by son, Roderic, and his wife, Christine, of Medfield MA; daughter, Martha Taft, and her husband, Fred Weiss of Washington, DC; son-in-law, Jeffrey Taft-Dick of Springfield VT; plus 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Hugh was predeceased by his wife, Barbara, just two months ago; daughter, Pamela Taft-Dick; and daughter, Paula Taft.

A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church UCC in Springfield, VT, on May 21, 2016, at 11 a.m. To view an online memorial or send a message of condolence to the family, please visit www.rand-wilson.com Arrangements are under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.

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