We learned belatedly and are saddened to report that John Updike Society member Robert Weatherall died on December 26 at his home in Ipswich, Mass.

Members will remember Bob from the very first conference at Alvernia University in 2010, when he and Mary Weatherall (Updike’s first wife) mingled with registrants and displayed a graciousness that was topped only by their opening their Ipswich house to us for our second conference—even mounting an impressive display of Updike materials, especially for us. Those who interacted with Bob were touched by how genuine and gentlemanly he was, and how giving.

His obituary in The Ipswich Chronicle recalls a full life that began in wartime Britain and had an impact on countless people: “He was a passionate advocate of education and was the first to work to ensure the the Foeffees of Little Neck honored William Payne’s 17th century gift to Ipswich students. He had an abiding interest in the public good, whether it be the welfare of the schoolchildren of Ipswich or access to and stewardship of open spaces.”

Members in the area can attend a memorial that be held at Ascension Memorial Church in Ipswich on January 31 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name may be made to Essex County Greenbelt Association, 82 Eastern Ave., Essex, MA 01929, or to the Ipswich Music, Arts & Drama Association, Inc., Box 449, Ipswich, MA  01938. Visit www.whittier-porter.com to send a message of condolence.

Our sympathies go out to Mary and the children. He will be missed.

John Updike would have turned 82 today, and while there aren’t a lot of birthday tributes on the Internet now, in 2010 a site devoted to famous persons’ birthdays featured Updike:

“Happy Birthday, John Updike, Prolific Novelist, Critic and Poet”

The Society is saddened to report that Robert “Bob” McCoy passed away on Sunday, November 4. Dr. McCoy was the San Diego State University administrator/scholar behind the stage production of Buchanan Dying at the Little Theatre there March 18-20 and March 25-27, 1977, as part of The Institute for Readers Theatre Series. McCoy had written his dissertation on Updike’s short stories in 1974 at the University of Southern California.

Member James Yerkes says that Bob was “generous to a fault with information about his long personal acquaintance with Updike and a true gentleman scholar.” He is survived in San Diego by his wife, Arlene, and two sons.

We report with sadness that John Updike Society member Brent G. Worley, 64, died on April 16, 2012 after a long battle with cancer. A resident of Berks County, Pennsylvania, and a longtime member of the Governor Mifflin School Board, Brent was an avid reader and collector of John Updike’s works who had amassed a near-complete set of autographed first trade editions of Updike’s works. He will be missed.

Here is his obituary, as it appeared in the Reading Eagle. It contains details about the memorial service on Saturday, April 28, 2012.

Our sympathies go out to his wife, Professor Rebecca Baker Worley.

Yesterday marked John Updike’s 80th birthday, and in tribute The Christian Science Monitor offered 10 quotes “to commemorate one of America’s exceptional men of letters.”

Here’s the link to “John Updike: 10 quotes on his birthday.”