William Herrick Houghton

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William Houghton died peacefully at home on December 7th with his family at his bedside. He was 90 years old.

He was born on May 4th, 1930 to Dr. William G. Houghton and Elizabeth Z. Houghton of Watertown, NY.  He attended Watertown High School and graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont and The General Motors Institute of Science and Engineering in Flint, Michigan. During the Korean war he served in the army as a bomb detonator in the Explosive Ordnance Division.

Bill was an entrepreneur in all aspects of his life. Whether inventing a bicycle alarm to help solve the problem of bicycle theft in his childrens' school system or developing and marketing electrical limit switches for a multitude of applications from ski lifts to elevators. His Company, R.B.Denison Mfg. Co., partnered with the Germans, French, Italians and English, to market the switches both nationally and internationally.  When the Company was sold, Bill formed a partnership to design and build hydraulic trailers, a unique invention to transport large boats from water to inland, leaving the waterfront for more profitable development . This concept quickly became popular not only in the United States but in Europe. Before retiring, Bill and his wife, Joan, formed their own company to market marine equipment that is sensitive to preserving the environment.

In retirement Bill was a consultant to people developing plans for their own small  businesses.  He became a lifetime member of the Rotary Club, creating programs to send unused medical supplies to countries in need as well as programs for the delivery of food to the elderly. In Ithaca he headed a major funding development for his favorite food program, FOODNET, an agency that operates several trucks delivering meals to hundreds of people per day.

Bill built several boats for use at the family camp in the Adirondack mountains: a kayak, a sailboat and a guide-boat amongst them. His lifetime passion was sailing, beginning as a young teenager racing and winning trophies with his lightning sailboat on Lake Ontario and later sailing a catamaran both in the Adirondacks and on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Md.   A lifetime National ski patrol member, he shared his love of skiing and the outdoors with his children taking them to hills and mountains near and far on week-ends.

Bill was a warm, friendly, and witty community man who brought joy to many who knew him.

Survivors of Bill Houghton include:  his beloved wife of 63 years, Joan M. Houghton, Cynthia H. Norby and husband John, Stephen H. Houghton and wife Suzanne, James V.G. Houghton and wife Anne, and Alice H. VanDeMark and husband Roderick. Grandchildren Aaron Norby and wife Jamie, Andrew Norby, Anne Norby, William VanDeMark and Leslie VanDeMark and one great grandchild, Ava Norby.

In lieu of flowers Memorial contributions can be sent to FOODNET at 2422 N. Triphammer Rd., Ithaca NY 14850. A memorial service will take place at the family camp in the Adirondack Mountains next summer.