William P. Tukey

William P. Tukey, 90, of 516 Gravelly Hill Road in South Kingstown, passed away at home on November 23 after a long illness. He was the beloved husband of Hope (Hall) Tukey, to whom he was married for over 62 years. Mr. Tukey was born on January 14, 1920 in Providence, the son of the late Charles W. Tukey and Martha (Peckham) Tukey. He was educated in North Providence public schools, then graduated from Classical High School in 1938 and from Brown University in 1942. In World War II, he was a decorated naval aviator who flew Hellcats from the carrier U.S.S. Yorktown, earning three Distinguished Flying Crosses and six Air Medals. During a long and distinguished career in the textile industry, he worked for companies including Textron, Allied Chemical, Indian Head Mills, and Monsanto Corporation. He retired in 1986 and lived for the remainder of his life in South Kingstown. In addition to his wife, Mr. Tukey leaves two sons, William P. Tukey, Jr. of South Kingstown and Paul M. Tukey of Charlestown; two daughters, Cynthia H. Cruser of Narragansett and Melissa T. McQuarrie of Virginia Beach, Virginia; seven grandchildren, and one great-grandson. A committal service with military honors will be held in Rhode Island Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Exeter at the convenience of the family.