William Townsend Knowles

Born 24 January 1935 at Orange, Essex County, New Jersey

Died 12 September 2017 at Brunswick, Cumberland County, Maine

William was the elder of two children born to Alan Cornell Knowles and Elinor Reed Townsend Knowles. He was raised at Essex Falls, New Jersey where his father was a business research analyst. William married his wife on 25 August 1958 at Upper Montclair, New Jersey. He and his wife were the parents of two children; William Townsend Knowles Jr., who died at age eleven, and a daughter. William was buried in the Townsend family plot at Mount Hebron Cemetery at Upper Montclair. He is John More Association, Alexander line, cousin #3111411 and my sixth cousin. 

©2018 Cindy Coffell

William T. Knowles, 82

BRUNSWICK - William T. Knowles, 82, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick.

He was born Jan. 24, 1935, in Orange, N.J., to Alan Cornell and Elinor (Townsend) Knowles. Raised in New Jersey, living initially in Essex Fells, Mr. Knowles graduated from Grover Cleveland High School and in 1957 he graduated from Colgate University, where he later served as a trustee. On Aug. 25, 1958, he married Elizabeth Lunt. His career was in commercial banking in New York City, with Bankers Trust Company for 20 years and later as chairman and CEO of National Westminster Bankcorp. He and his wife retired to Harpswell in 1993. Mr. Knowles was involved in a variety of community activities. In Montclair, N.J., where he lived for 34 years, he served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and as a director of the American Red Cross chapter, Mountainside Hospital and the Mount Hebron Cemetery Association. He was active in the Union Congregational Church chairing the rebuilding committee and two ministerial search committees. In New York he was chairman of The Regional Plan Association, on the boards of Carnegie Hall, United Way and Mutual of America Life Insurance Company. In retirement, he was active at First Parish Church in Brunswick, and a board member of Bangor Theological Seminary, the Humanities Council and Maine Center for Economic Policy.

Published in Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram on Sept. 20, 2017