Robert C. Achorn, 93, former editor, publisher and president of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, died Saturday, October 3rd, at St. Camillus Health Center where he resided since April, after a courageous struggle with Parkinson's Disease and Dementia.
He leaves his devoted wife of 33 years, Ann (Bouvier) Achorn. His first wife, the former Jean M. Berlo of Gardner, died in 1980 after 29 years of marriage. He leaves three daughters and a son, Nancy Engberg and Carole Judge, both of Westboro, Susan Achorn of Uxbridge, and Edward Achorn of Rehoboth; four granddaughters, seven grandsons, and three great grandsons; three sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law, including Maureen and Patrick Gibson of Millbury, who assisted with his care; nieces and nephews. A fourth daughter, Judith Berry of Poway, California, died on April 2nd. Mr. Achorn, born in Westboro March 31, 1922, was the only child of Edward Welt Achorn and Mabel Comey Achorn.
He graduated from Westboro High School in 1939, and Brown University in 1943, where he was named to Phi Beta Kappa. Later in life, he was awarded honorary doctoral degrees by Nichols College and Worcester State University.
During World War ll, he served more than three years in the U.S. Navy, most of that time on a sub chaser in the Pacific. He advanced from apprentice seaman to lieutenant and eventually served as commanding officer of the SC-1272. His ship participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and the immediate postwar securing of Japan. He later served as executive officer of a destroyer-escort.
Three weeks after Japan surrendered, he slogged through the ash-covered streets of fire-bombed Tokyo. He peered through an iron fence at the long driveway at the untouched green lawns of the Imperial Palace, home of Emperor Hirohito, a symbol of wartime evil. Thirty-nine years later, he and his wife Ann, with a newspaper group, rode up that drive to be the guests of Prince Akihito at a reception in the Palace. Akihito, Hirohito's son, has since become emperor.
After leaving the Navy in 1946, Mr. Achorn joined the Telegram & Gazette. He worked there 41 years. He began as a reporter, served as an editorial writer for 13 years, including as editor of the editorial pages of both newspapers. He was promoted to managing editor of The Evening Gazette in 1964.
In 1967, he became associate editor of both newspapers. In 1970, he was named editor and served in that position for 11 years. He appeared frequently on the Sunday WBZ-TV program, "Starring the Editors."
He traveled widely, visiting the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem in Israel and meeting Shimon Peres at the Knesset. During the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, he flew into that city, visited the Berlin Wall and toured the barren boulevards of Communist East Berlin. In his first trip to China in 1978, he traveled thousands of miles and participated in a lively, two-hour press conference with Dengxiaoping, who had succeeded Mao Zedong as supreme ruler. In 1984, he visited Cuba and six South American cities with AP bureaus. Mr. Achorn wrote extensively about these travels for the Telegram & Gazette.
He was appointed associate publisher in 1981, and succeeded Richard C. Steele as publisher the following year. He became president of the company three years later.
Mr. Achorn retired in 1986, but wrote a weekly column for two years. In retirement, he also researched, wrote and sometimes spoke about various special interests of his, including Worcester history, family history (traced back to the Mayflower), press issues, musical theater, vaudeville, circuses, films of the 1930s, mystery writers, magicians and magic, and the careers of Cole Porter, Bing Crosby and Noel Coward. He enjoyed a family collection of hundreds of theater programs from 1899 to the present.
He was a fan of the Boston Braves and later the Red Sox. He went to his first game in 1933 with his mother. He saw Babe Ruth hit two home runs to carry the Yankees to a victory over the Red Sox. The game was played at Braves field in Boston because Fenway Park was under construction that year.
Mr. Achorn enjoyed spending time at his second home on Cape Cod, until it was sold in 2000.
First as a newspaper editor and then as publisher, he was elected by the nation's publishers to the board of directors of The Associated Press. As chair of the board's Foreign Operations Committee, he traveled to Europe, Asia and South America to study the operations of AP news bureaus. He also served as a member of the United Press International Advisory Board.
He served as president of five regional newspaper organizations. In 1973, he was named to the Academy of New England Journalists, receiving the Yankee Quill Award.
Mr. Achorn was active in community affairs and served as chairman of many boards including The Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, the United Way of Central Massachusetts and the Central Massachusetts Chapter of the American Red Cross. He was president of the Worcester Community Concert Association and the Worcester Economic Club. He was vice-chairman of the Memorial Hospital trustees and of the Worcester Historical Museum. He was a director of the Worcester YMCA, Mohegan Council of the Boy Scouts and the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce. He served as a corporator of the Worcester Art Museum and the Higgins Armory. He was a director of the UMass Memorial Foundation.
He served on a special committee that studied community foundations in American cities and recommended creation of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, of which he became a corporator. He was a founder and first secretary of the Worcester Committee on Foreign Relations. He was president of the Worcester County Brown Club.
He was a trustee of Old Sturbridge Village. He was a member of the American Antiquarian Society. In Sutton, he served two terms on the Council on Aging.
He was a trustee of the Worcester County Institution for Savings for 24 years. He was a trustee of State Mutual Securities. He was a director of the Telegram and Gazette.
His memberships included the Worcester Club, the Bohemians, the St. Wulstan Society, the Worcester Torch Club, Stowell-Parker Post 163, American Legion of Westboro and the Patrol Craft Sailors Association. He had been a member of the National Press Club, the Worcester Rotary Club and Tatnuck Country Club.
Special thanks to St. Camillus Health Center for their compassionate care during his six-month residency, and also to Notre Dame Hospice for assisting in his care during his final days.
His funeral service will take place on Friday, October 9th at 11 a.m. in Mulhane Funeral home, 45 Main St. in Millbury. There will be a calling hour from 9:30-11:00 am, prior to the funeral service in the funeral home. Burial with military honors will take place at Pine Grove Cemetery in Westboro. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5014 Hagerstown, Maryland 21741-5014.
Read Robert Achorn's Obituary and Guestbook on mulhane.com.
He leaves his devoted wife of 33 years, Ann (Bouvier) Achorn. His first wife, the former Jean M. Berlo of Gardner, died in 1980 after 29 years of marriage. He leaves three daughters and a son, Nancy Engberg and Carole Judge, both of Westboro, Susan Achorn of Uxbridge, and Edward Achorn of Rehoboth; four granddaughters, seven grandsons, and three great grandsons; three sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law, including Maureen and Patrick Gibson of Millbury, who assisted with his care; nieces and nephews. A fourth daughter, Judith Berry of Poway, California, died on April 2nd. Mr. Achorn, born in Westboro March 31, 1922, was the only child of Edward Welt Achorn and Mabel Comey Achorn.
He graduated from Westboro High School in 1939, and Brown University in 1943, where he was named to Phi Beta Kappa. Later in life, he was awarded honorary doctoral degrees by Nichols College and Worcester State University.
During World War ll, he served more than three years in the U.S. Navy, most of that time on a sub chaser in the Pacific. He advanced from apprentice seaman to lieutenant and eventually served as commanding officer of the SC-1272. His ship participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and the immediate postwar securing of Japan. He later served as executive officer of a destroyer-escort.
Three weeks after Japan surrendered, he slogged through the ash-covered streets of fire-bombed Tokyo. He peered through an iron fence at the long driveway at the untouched green lawns of the Imperial Palace, home of Emperor Hirohito, a symbol of wartime evil. Thirty-nine years later, he and his wife Ann, with a newspaper group, rode up that drive to be the guests of Prince Akihito at a reception in the Palace. Akihito, Hirohito's son, has since become emperor.
After leaving the Navy in 1946, Mr. Achorn joined the Telegram & Gazette. He worked there 41 years. He began as a reporter, served as an editorial writer for 13 years, including as editor of the editorial pages of both newspapers. He was promoted to managing editor of The Evening Gazette in 1964.
In 1967, he became associate editor of both newspapers. In 1970, he was named editor and served in that position for 11 years. He appeared frequently on the Sunday WBZ-TV program, "Starring the Editors."
He traveled widely, visiting the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem in Israel and meeting Shimon Peres at the Knesset. During the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, he flew into that city, visited the Berlin Wall and toured the barren boulevards of Communist East Berlin. In his first trip to China in 1978, he traveled thousands of miles and participated in a lively, two-hour press conference with Dengxiaoping, who had succeeded Mao Zedong as supreme ruler. In 1984, he visited Cuba and six South American cities with AP bureaus. Mr. Achorn wrote extensively about these travels for the Telegram & Gazette.
He was appointed associate publisher in 1981, and succeeded Richard C. Steele as publisher the following year. He became president of the company three years later.
Mr. Achorn retired in 1986, but wrote a weekly column for two years. In retirement, he also researched, wrote and sometimes spoke about various special interests of his, including Worcester history, family history (traced back to the Mayflower), press issues, musical theater, vaudeville, circuses, films of the 1930s, mystery writers, magicians and magic, and the careers of Cole Porter, Bing Crosby and Noel Coward. He enjoyed a family collection of hundreds of theater programs from 1899 to the present.
He was a fan of the Boston Braves and later the Red Sox. He went to his first game in 1933 with his mother. He saw Babe Ruth hit two home runs to carry the Yankees to a victory over the Red Sox. The game was played at Braves field in Boston because Fenway Park was under construction that year.
Mr. Achorn enjoyed spending time at his second home on Cape Cod, until it was sold in 2000.
First as a newspaper editor and then as publisher, he was elected by the nation's publishers to the board of directors of The Associated Press. As chair of the board's Foreign Operations Committee, he traveled to Europe, Asia and South America to study the operations of AP news bureaus. He also served as a member of the United Press International Advisory Board.
He served as president of five regional newspaper organizations. In 1973, he was named to the Academy of New England Journalists, receiving the Yankee Quill Award.
Mr. Achorn was active in community affairs and served as chairman of many boards including The Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, the United Way of Central Massachusetts and the Central Massachusetts Chapter of the American Red Cross. He was president of the Worcester Community Concert Association and the Worcester Economic Club. He was vice-chairman of the Memorial Hospital trustees and of the Worcester Historical Museum. He was a director of the Worcester YMCA, Mohegan Council of the Boy Scouts and the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce. He served as a corporator of the Worcester Art Museum and the Higgins Armory. He was a director of the UMass Memorial Foundation.
He served on a special committee that studied community foundations in American cities and recommended creation of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, of which he became a corporator. He was a founder and first secretary of the Worcester Committee on Foreign Relations. He was president of the Worcester County Brown Club.
He was a trustee of Old Sturbridge Village. He was a member of the American Antiquarian Society. In Sutton, he served two terms on the Council on Aging.
He was a trustee of the Worcester County Institution for Savings for 24 years. He was a trustee of State Mutual Securities. He was a director of the Telegram and Gazette.
His memberships included the Worcester Club, the Bohemians, the St. Wulstan Society, the Worcester Torch Club, Stowell-Parker Post 163, American Legion of Westboro and the Patrol Craft Sailors Association. He had been a member of the National Press Club, the Worcester Rotary Club and Tatnuck Country Club.
Special thanks to St. Camillus Health Center for their compassionate care during his six-month residency, and also to Notre Dame Hospice for assisting in his care during his final days.
His funeral service will take place on Friday, October 9th at 11 a.m. in Mulhane Funeral home, 45 Main St. in Millbury. There will be a calling hour from 9:30-11:00 am, prior to the funeral service in the funeral home. Burial with military honors will take place at Pine Grove Cemetery in Westboro. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5014 Hagerstown, Maryland 21741-5014.
Read Robert Achorn's Obituary and Guestbook on mulhane.com.
A service summary is not available