We say a sad goodbye to our founder and friend
William Theriault 72
William David Theriault, 72, of Hagerstown, MD, passed away Saturday, January 12, 2019, at his home.
Born Thursday, May 30, 1946 in Waterville, ME, he was the son of the late John M. Theriault and the late Grace (McEachern) Theriault.
Bill received a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University, a Master’s degree from the University of Denver and his doctorate degree in American Literature from George Washington University. Throughout his career he was a technical writer and taught college level English. He was the first chairman of the Jefferson County Landmarks Commission in West Virginia and a founding member of the Peter Burr Bread Bakers Guild. Bill was also a member of the Friends of Peter Burr and helped bring artisan bread baking to Washington County through programs at the Rural Heritage Museum.
Bill spent the last forty years studying the history of Jefferson County, West Virginia. He developed a website for students and researchers about the history of Eastern West Virginia called the West Virginia GeoExplorer. As an author, Bill published The History of Eastern Jefferson County, How and Where to Look It Up Volumes 1 through 3, The Jefferson County History Calendar, A History of Shannondale Springs, Julia Davis: A Literary Biography; Volumes 1 and 2, Artisan Bread Baking for Living History Museums, Baking Heirloom Artisan Bread at Home, and The Fourth Estate - Volume One. Bill wrote a long-running column in the Spirit of Jefferson newspaper covering local history and topics. Bill received several awards for his contributions to local history including the Certificate of Commendation from the American Association for State and Local History in 1996 and the Distinguished Citizen of Jefferson County Award from the Spirit of Jefferson Farmers Advocate in 2001.
He is survived by his wife of fifty years Maureen P. Theriault; daughter, Amy E. Theriault; son-in-law Kevin Lee McIver; sister-in-law Esther Pierce; sister-in-law Janice L. Hunt; brother-in-law Charles Pheeney and wife Maria; sister-in-law Martha McNeil and husband Michael LeBlanc; and mother-in-law Pauline E. Pheeney. He also is survived by numerous cousins, nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his stepmother Marjorie Holland, brother John M. Theriault, Jr. and father-in-law Charles T. Pheeney.