Thomas Edward Duff

Thomas Edward Duff, 85, a longtime resident of Barre City and a former Barre city manager, died Friday, Dec. 14, 2007, at the Berlin Health and Rehab Center. He had recently lived at Copley Woodlands in Stowe.

He was born Sept. 22, 1922, in Willimantic, Conn., son of John C. and Mary (Moreland) Duff. He graduated from Norwich (Conn.) Free Academy and attended American International College in Springfield, Mass.

Because of his skiing proficiency, in 1943 he enlisted to serve as a 60mm mortar crewman with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division Ski Troops during World War II. He was awarded a Bronze battle star and fought in the Aleutian Islands and Northern Italy campaigns. He was wounded during an assault on Mt. Belvedere in Italy. He was discharged in 1946 after a long hospitalization at Ft. Devens, Mass.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Middlebury College, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1949. In 1950, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University.

He had held municipal managerships in Middlebury; Claremont, N.H.; Andover, Mass.; Saugus, Mass.; and Milton, Vt.; and was the Barre city manager from 1965 to 1976. He was also a municipal consultant in Boston and in several Vermont communities.

He left politics in 1982 and operated the Tom Duff Real Estate Agency until his retirement.

On June 19, 1947, he married Rosemary Welch in Springfield, Mass. She was his loyal helpmate throughout his career. She died Nov. 12, 2003.

In 1973, then-Gov. Thomas Salmon presented him the Municipal Government Man of the Year Award, given by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. He served on Gov. Philip Hoff’s Economic Advisory Council for Vermont from 1968 to 1971.

Tom was instrumental in the naming of Mountain Road in Stowe as the 10th Mountain Division Highway. In 2003, he was inducted into the Vermont Ski Troops Hall of Fame.

He was a member of St. Monica Catholic Church; Bishop Brady Knights of Columbus Council 399; the Rotary Club, of which he was a past president; Barre American Legion Post 10; MacKenzie-Webster Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 790; and Elks Lodge 1535, all of Barre. He was past president of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and a member of International City Managers Association.

Survivors include two daughters, Mary Vredenburgh and husband Thomas of Springfield, Vt., and Patricia Halpin and husband Matthew of Pelham, N.H.; four sons, Dr. Thomas E. Duff Jr. and wife Kathleen of Niskayuna, N.Y., Dr. John C. Duff and wife Melissa of Newfane, Vt., James M. Duff and wife Annmarie of Stowe, and Peter J. Duff and wife Patricia of Brattleboro; 15 grandchildren; two brothers, James Duff of Ocean Pines, Md., and Francis Duff of Willimantic, Conn.; and nieces and nephews.

A brother, John Duff, and two sisters, Margaret O’Sullivan and Theresa Schuster, died earlier.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Saturday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. at St. Monica Catholic Church in Barre. Burial will be later in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Middlebury.

Friends may call Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy St., Barre.

Donations may be made in Mr. Duff’s memory to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641.