William D. Dr. Metz

William DeWitt Metz, 98, of Kingston passed away February 11, 2013, at home. Dr. Metz was the husband of the late Clarice Stiles (McKenney) and was born in Buffalo, NY to the late Rev. William J. and Minerva (Lamphear) Metz. Bill Metz was a graduate of Dexter High School in Maine and earned a BA in history from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine in 1937. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was President of his class. During summers in the 1930s, he was maintenance crew chief at the Ferry Beach Unitarian Universalist Camp, Saco, Maine, and continued to have a lifelong family commitment to Ferry Beach, which resulted in the construction of the Metz Staff Village. He received a Ph.D. in history in 1945 from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Dr. Metz accepted a position at the Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island) History Department in 1945, serving as Department Chair (1962–1968). He retired in 1982 as Professor Emeritus of History. He was editor of the New England Social Studies Bulletin and The Historian: A Journal of History and served as president of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. He was instrumental in bringing Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Beta Kappa (1976 first President) chapters to the University of Rhode Island. He was a visiting Fulbright lecturer in American History at Makerere University in Uganda, Africa, 1966–1967. Rhode Island history was his specialty and passion. “Before there was an Ask.com, people with history questions just asked Bill Metz,” said Arline Fleming (The Providence Journal, 2/7/07). Bill was honored that year by South County Museum for having served as President for 14 years and for his foresight in relocating the Museum to Narragansett. The main building, the Metz Building, was named in his honor. He was also a Trustee and President of Cocumscussoc Association and founding member and first Vice President of the League of RI Historical Societies. In 1958 Bill was a founding member and then President of the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society; he was instrumental in acquiring the Washington County Jail for the Society. Bill was the First Chairman of the South Kingstown Historic District Commission and a member of the South Kingstown Charter Commission, as well as a founding board member of the South Kingstown Education Fund. He was an active member of the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission and of the RI National Register Review. He spent seven years on the RI Council for the Humanities, two as Chair. Bill was a member of the RI Civil War Centennial Commission and served as Chairman of the South Kingstown Bicentennial Committee. In 1997, the State of Rhode Island honored Dr. Metz for his lifelong community service by conferring the state’s highest historic preservation award, the Antoinette R. Downing Volunteer Service Award. Bill was committed to his Kingston village. He was a Warden of the Kingston Fire District, as well as a volunteer firefighter; President of Kingston Hill School Parent Teachers Organization; an advisor for the URI Student Fellowship (currently the URI Intervarsity Christian Fellowship); and until 2008 a member and office holder of the URI Watson House Committee. Sarina Wyant writes: “His legacy will always include saving [1790] Watson House.” Bill was an active member of and office holder in the Kingston Improvement Association (KIA) and the Tavern Hall Club (President two terms). Bill and Clarice joined the Kingston Congregational Church in 1947. Bill has been on the Board of Deacons, Trustees, Missions and many other committees; he also taught Sunday School and served at the state level for the United Church of Christ. Bill was Chair of the Old Fernwood Cemetery Committee for almost 50 years. He recorded the Church’s and Kingston’s past in his book, The History of the Kingston Congregational Church, which covers the years 1695 through 1995. He leaves three children: Elizabeth J. McNab (husband A. David) of Kingston, Dr. William C. Metz (wife Carol) of Naperville, IL. and Dr. Margaret C. Munroe (husband Rev. Kevin) of Hagerstown, MD. There are six grandchildren: Allan D. McNab (wife Sidney), Deborah K. Jennings (husband Warren), W. Christopher Metz, Jennifer G. Metz, Scott K. Munroe (wife Lauren), and Kileen S. Urian (husband Dr. R. Craig). Bill leaves 10 great-grandchildren who have been the delight of his life and his sister, Harriet Metz Armbruster (husband Edward) of Florida and many nieces and nephews. He survived his sisters Ida Elizabeth Hyland, Margaret Emma Edwards and Mary Rosalind Calder and a brother Paul Fredrick Metz. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Kingston Congregational Church, UCC. Burial will be private. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the William D. and Clarice Metz Endowed Scholarship, URI Foundation, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI, 02881 or Kingston Congregational Church, 2610 Kingstown Rd., Kingston, RI 02881.