W. Henry Duckham II, 89, of Waquoit died July 30, 2018. Mr. Duckham was born January 23, 1929 in New York City to William Charles Duckham, a rose grower, and Katharine Thackray Burrell, a homemaker, and grew up in Madison NJ. He graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville CT.
Henry trained as a classical orchestral player at the New England Conservatory graduating with undergraduate degrees and served as principal clarinet for the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra and toured with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra. He attended Tanglewood as a fellow and later taught as an adjunct faculty member at Arizona State University, Whitman College and Oberlin Conservatory. He toured the mid-west as a member of a clarinet/guitar duo. His interest in jazz and classical music started early and as an improviser he performed with a number of established jazz players, among them were pianists Dick Wellwood and Cecil Taylor, guitarist Gene Bertoncini and Basie trombonist Al Grey.
He left the music business to support his family, working in sales and marketing for KLH Research and Development Corp., Salada Foods and Ludens Confectionery Co. as director of Marketing. In 1967 he earned his MBA degree from Northeastern University.
In the mid-1970s his original commitment to music brought him back to the field as an administrator and he served as Development Director for the Phoenix Symphony and later as a fund raiser for Whitman College, eventually moving to Oberlin, OH to become the Director of External Affairs for the Oberlin Conservatory. He moved to Falmouth MA in 1991 to join Sea Education Association and served as alumni Director for his alma mater the New England Conservatory. In retirement he taught instrumental music part-time at Quashnet Elementary School as well as served as music critic for the Cape Cod Times.
He was an enthusiastic fly-fisherman, bicycler and runner and with his wife backpacked and hiked in many of the national parks out west.
His first marriage ended in divorce. He married Elaine LeVan in 1977.
He is survived by his wife; a sister, Alice Duffus of Santa Barbara CA; his sons, Bryan C. Duckham and Noel W. Haydon of St. Louis MO, and Todd F. Haydon of Cincinnati OH and six grandchildren. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews who he was very fond of including Rick, Bruce and Katharine Ripley, Aaron and Daniel LeVan, Abbey Schlageter, Kim, Karen and Darryl Hoffman and his brother-in-law, Robert LeVan, who he loved fishing the creeks and back waters with in the Oley Valley PA.
