obits

In the November 15 post headlined “Susan Sugar, 1933–2023,” the surnames of Susan Sugar mother and two of her family members were listed incorrectly. The original post has been corrected.

Susan Sugar

Susan Sugar of Lincoln died on November 7, 2023 at the age of 90.

Susan Bowen Kimball was born in New York City on July 31, 1933, the daughter of Charles Kimball Jr. and Louise Van Voorhees. Her father died when she was five years old. She grew up in Greenwich, Conn., attending Greenwich Country Day School and Abbott Academy in Andover, Mass.

She graduated from Vassar College in 1955, where she gained a B.A. degree in musicology. She married Keith Wheelock, son of Ward Wheelock, a Philadelphia-based advertiser, in 1956. They had two children: a daughter, Helen, and a son, Jamie. Keith was a Foreign Service officer, and they were posted to the Belgian Congo for three years and, later, for another three years to Santiago, Chile. They returned to the States and lived in Lincoln and Greenwich.

Susan was divorced in 1975 and moved to Lincoln in that year. She remarried in 1985 to Peter C. Sugar, a Hungarian-born architect of Lincoln. It was the second marriage for both of them.

Susan was a singer (a soprano) and member of the semiprofessional Chorus Pro Musica of Boston for several years and the choir of the First Parish Church Lincoln. She had many interests in addition to being an athlete and an excellent tennis player, winning several town tournaments with various partners. She worked as a research librarian for the advertising firm of Temple, Barker, and Sloan in Lexington and then as a librarian for the Lincoln Public Library. She retired from the latter after fifteen years to concentrate on her lifelong hobbies of gardening and birdwatching.

Susan is survived by her daughter, Helen Wheelock; her son, Jamie Wheelock and his wife Brenda and children Kay and Ian; her half-sister Betty Webster and her husband Ben Bullard and children Ashley, Lucy, and Travis and their families (Susan’s other siblings, brother Charles and sister Louise pre-deceased her), and her loving husband Peter and his children Susan Sugar Halstead, Alex Sugar, Tobias Sugar and their families. We all miss her, especially her warm personality, ready smile, good humor, and willingness to join any group or activity to help others.

If you would like to make a contribution in her memory, in lieu of flowers, please donate in her name via check to Mass Audubon, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773. Burial was private in Lincoln Cemetery.

Arrangements were under the care of Concord Funeral Home, which prepared this obituary. T leave a message in her online guest book, click here.

Bob Lenington

Robert “Bob” Lenington of Lincoln passed away on November 8, 2023. He was 93 and in his own words “I’ve had a great life.”

The greatest legacy Bob leaves is his love for his family. He married his honey, Carolyn, on July 18, 1953. This past summer they celebrated their 70 anniversary along with family, friends, and much laughter. Nothing brought Bob more happiness than traveling through life with his bride, and what an adventure it was with Captain Bob at the helm. 

Bob grew up in Detroit with his mom, dad, and younger brother Sid. He held a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wayne State University and had a varied and successful corporate career for 24 years. Taking a position with Raytheon is what prompted him and Carolyn to move to Massachusetts, where he made his home in Lincoln for 61 years. In 1977, Bob took a position at Bentley College in Waltham; he remained at Bentley for 16 years until he retired as vice president for business and finance and treasurer. Bob loved his time at Bentley — he enjoyed his peers and his team and was proud of his many accomplishments.

Bob loved his work, but he also loved to play. He was a member of the Lincoln Minute Men and was honored to be the captain during the bicentennial year’s celebration. He and Carolyn enjoyed their travels with the Minute Men, especially the bicentennial reenactment of the march of Benedict Arnold to the centenary celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Swimming and tennis kept him active, as did home improvement projects, which he loved designing and then building himself. Bob also took great joy in riding the family’s horse Pandy, and on occasion, giving him a sip of his martini. Camping was a family vacation adventure that was enjoyed by all. Houseboat and RV trips kept the family vacations lively. In 1976, Bob and Carolyn bought a lake cabin, which became one of Bob’s favorite spots.

Carolyn and Bob had three girls, Kathy, Kristen, and Karen, whom he adored. He always referred to them as his three girls and delighted in pointing out to people that the women in his life were always telling him what to do. As much as he loved his girls, he was pleased that their married lives brought some sons into his world. He relished the boys’ weekends up at the lake. He delighted in being a Papa to his seven grandchildren and continued his teasing playful ways with them. He always wanted great-grandchildren and was glad he was able to welcome three great-grandsons into the family.

Travel brought immense pleasure to him. Luckily, he and Carolyn enjoyed seeing much of the world during their retirement years.

Bob was the beloved husband for 70 years of Carolyn (Barrett) Lenington. He was the dedicated father of Kristen Cavallaro and her husband Paul; Karen Martin and her husband Brad; and the late Kathy Silva and her surviving husband John. He was the cherished Papa of Josh, Courtney, Brendon, Jessica, Stephanie, Christopher, David and their partners, along with his newly minted great-grandsons Finn, Miles, and Luca.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Bob’s life during visiting hours on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 3-5 p.m. at Dee Funeral Home (27 Bedford St., Concord). His funeral service will be held on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m. in the Weston United Methodist Church (377 North Ave., Weston). Burial will follow with U.S. Army military honors at Lincoln Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bob’s memory may be made to Care Dimensions in gratitude for the extraordinary hospice care Bob received (www.caredimensions.org). Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord, which provided this obituary. To share a fond memory of Bob or to offer a condolence in his online guestbook, click here.

Marion Meenan

Marion Morey Meenan, 80, a Lincoln resident since 1968, passed away at Care Dimensions Hospice House on October 9, 2023. She was the wife of the late Robert L. Sutherland.

She was born in Washington, D.C., on January 25, 1943 as the daughter of the late Joseph H. Morey, Jr. and Marion (Leeson) Morey. After growing up in Buffalo, N.Y. and graduating from Brown University in 1964, Marion held several jobs in publishing in New York and Boston.

As she raised her two daughters, Marion became a devoted volunteer for several local organizations and activities while working on a part-time basis for Brandeis University. She later returned to school, earning an MBA at Babson College in Wellesley. Subsequently, she held several management positions at XRE Corp. in Littleton before becoming Vice President of Engineering. 

Her retirement years were joyfully spent sharing life’s adventures with those she loved most. Special bonds were formed with each arriving grandchild over the years. She was an extremely loyal and devoted fan, attending every hockey game, horse show and extracurricular event involving any grandchild. She enjoyed attending theater and ballet performances, visiting museums, traveling, biking, cross-country skiing, hiking, and walking. Marion became a proud resident of the vibrant and loving community at The Commons in the final years of her life. Among the many qualities that endeared Marion to many, she will be profoundly missed for her positive influence, supportive nature, love for learning and zest for life. 

She is survived by two daughters, Susan Barron and her husband Dev, and Loraine Cook and her husband Steve, all of Concord; and five grandchildren: Thomas Barron, Annie Barron, Charlie Cook, Peter Cook, and Ben Cook. She was the sister of Susan Morey Harries and the late Loraine Morey Rust. 

A private burial service will be held at the Lincoln Cemetery on November 24, 2023, which marks the 31st wedding anniversary of Marion and Bob. A private reception will follow.  

Marion valued education, “expeditions,” and equal rights. In lieu of flowers, please honor Marion’s spirit by enjoying an adventure or fun activity, signing up for that class you’ve always wanted to take, and of course, making sure to register to vote.

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord. To share a memory or to offer a condolence in Marion’s online guestbook, click here.

Mitch Eckel

George Mitchell Eckel III, widely known to friends and family as Mitch, died in Lincoln on July 23 of complications caused by lymphoma. He was 83.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, and graduate of Harvard Law School, Mitch was a devoted longtime resident of Concord. He and his wife Susan lived for four decades in Concord, where he served on town boards and was an active volunteer for the Trinitarian Congregational Church, Boy Scout Troop 132, and other civic organizations.

Mitch was born on July 14, 1940 in Hot Springs, Ark., to George Mitchell Eckel, Jr., and Margaret Grace Anna Everhart. He lived his earliest years in Hot Springs along with his parents and his younger sister, Charlotte Ann. He and his family later moved to North Little Rock, Ark., where he attended North Little Rock High School and played football and other sports. In 1953, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 29, becoming one of the youngest Eagle Scouts in Arkansas history. 

After graduation from high school in 1958, Mitch enrolled in the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. His class was the first full Air Force Academy class to spend its entire four years at the Colorado Springs campus, and they were later immortalized as the “Red Tag Bastards,” a designation its alumni carried with pride. He received a copy of his diploma from then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. 

Mitch underwent pilot training, learning to fly C-130 cargo planes and B-47 bombers in Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, N.C., and McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kan. He was married to Susan Heywood Hall of Riverside, Conn. on August 28, 1965. Mitch flew C-130s in South and North Vietnam, and he was honorably discharged in July 1969. 

In September 1970, he enrolled at Harvard Law School the first Air Force Academy graduate to enroll there. He graduated in 1973 with a J.D. degree and earned a master’s degree in taxation law from Boston University in 1974. He worked for law firms in Manchester, N.H. and Boston, including as a partner at Grabill & Ley, before setting out to establish an independent practice that later became Eckel, Hoag & O’Connor in Acton.

For many years, Mitch and Susan and their three sons, George Mitchell Eckel IV (Mike), Richard Hall and Peter Heywood, lived in Concord, where Mitch was an active member of the Trinitarian Congregational Church, serving many years as church treasurer. He was also a dedicated Troop Committee Chairman for Boy Scout Troop 132, where his sons were Boy Scouts. Mitch retired from his law practice in 2018, and he and Susan moved to Lincoln.

Mitch is survived by his wife of 58 years, Susan; three sons, Mike (Jenn), of Prague, Czech Republic; Richard (Marcy), of Stow, Mass.; and Peter (Isabelle) of West Roxbury, Mass.; and their families, including eight grandchildren: Lily, Sydney, Scarlett, Daphne, Henry, Louise, Charles, and Grace; along with his sister Charlotte Ann (Eckel) Edwards of Nashville, Tenn., and her family.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Mitch for his memorial service on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. in the Trinitarian Congregational Church at 54 Walden St. in Concord. Concord’s town flag will fly at half-staff to honor Mitch’s faithful service in the U.S. Air Force.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Trinitarian Congregational Church or the Air Force Academy Foundation of the Association of Graduates,
3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840 or www.USAFA.org/give.

Arrangements are under the care of Concord Funeral Home, which provided this obituary. To share a memory or offer a condolence, click here.

Elaine Algeo

Elaine Therese (Costello) Algeo, 93, formerly of Lincoln and Stow, passed away in peace and comfort on  July 22, 2023, at her home in West Concord.

Elaine was born on September 10, 1929 at her grandmother’s house in Jamaica Plain to William Henry Costello and Ellen E. (Gill) Costello of Lincoln. She enjoyed growing up near the top of the Town Hill, where the library or Sandy Pond were a short walk away. Elaine attended Lincoln Public Schools and graduated from Concord High School in 1947. She married Leo J. Algeo in 1952, raising her family of five in Lincoln before retiring to Stow in 1989. Elaine lived her last few years at Concord Park in West Concord.

As a teenager, Elaine waited tables at the Hartwell Farm. After graduation, she worked as a telephone operator for the Bell Telephone Co. at their office in Lincoln Center (1947-1958) and for MIT Lincoln Laboratory (~1976-1990). Elaine was an active member of St. Joseph Church in Lincoln, where she was married and her five children were christened. Elaine was also a member of a local women’s group, “The Agitators,” whose charitable works were many. During her time in Stow, she was a regular presence at the Council on Aging, attending weekly art classes and making many friends.

Elaine loved to read and cook for her family (or anyone else who came through the door.) She enjoyed knitting and quilting and was an avid painter who left behind many works that will be treasured by her family and friends into the future. More important to her, she inspired several grandchildren in these crafts.

Elaine was predeceased by her parents; her brothers Edward and John; her husband of 57 years, Leo J. Algeo; and her daughter Mary E. Algeo. Elaine leaves behind her daughter Elizabeth A. Lucas of Seattle; sons Leo J. Algeo, Jr., of Raymond, Maine, Timothy P. Algeo and his wife Vicky of Rindge, N.H., and Kevin P. Algeo of Strafford, Mo.; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Family and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Wednesday, Aug. 2 from 4–7 p.m. at the Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford St., Concord. Those who wish may gather again at Dee Funeral Home on Thursday, Aug. 3 at noon, followed by a procession to St. Joseph Church, 142 Lincoln Rd., Lincoln, where Elaine’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Burial will follow at Lincoln Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making tax-deductible contributions in Elaine’s memory to the Stow Council on Aging (a 501(c)(3) charitable organization), payable to: SFCOA, P.O. Box 97, Stow, MA 01775. Please note “In memory of Elaine Algeo” in memo on checks.

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord, which provided this obituary. To share a remembrance or to offer a condolence in Elaine’s online guestbook, please click here.