Dr. Earl C. Hagstrom

1928 - 2016

DURHAM - Dr. Earl C. Hagstrom, long of Durham, N.H., died peacefully on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at the age of 88.

Earl is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary A. (Conlon) Hagstrom; his children, Mark Hagstrom, Neal and Becky Hagstrom of Meriden, Conn., Mary and Duane Bailey of Williamstown, Mass., Gail Rankin and Chuck Mulleady of Dover, N.H., and Carol and Bill Keefe of Keene, N.H., his ten grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

Earl was born on October 14, 1928, in Cambridge, Mass., to Otto and Vivian (Powell) Hagstrom. He graduated from Cambridge Latin and served in the Navy for two years. He received his B.S. degree from Tufts University (1952) graduating Magna cum Laude. Earl and Mary were married on April 18, 1952. Soon after, they moved to Providence, R.I., where he earned his master's degree (1954) and his Ph.D in Physiological Psychology (1957) from Brown University. For several years he taught at Princeton and Columbia. Later, he worked at the Medical College of Virginia but found that a research-only career drew him away from teaching and interacting with students.

In 1965 he joined the Department of Psychology at the University of New Hampshire where he taught until 2004. During his career he amassed a dozen publications and presented his work at various national and international conferences. In 1973 he spent a year at the Physiological Institute at Kungliga Veterinärhögskolan, Sweden under an NIH fellowship. While in Stockholm, Earl and his family celebrated their Swedish heritage. He was an ardent supporter and frequent participant in Durham's annual Leif Ericson Parade.

Throughout his life Earl tinkered with radios, electronics, and computer hardware. He loved reading and passed that passion along to his children and grandchildren. He encouraged everyone to pursue their own goals. He had a playful side that showed itself in magic tricks (he ran a high school magic show business, "Hocus Pocus") and a dry sense of humor. Earl appreciated wordplay and a good pun. His smile was infectious.

SERVICES: He will be laid to rest in a private family service. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society, 9 Erie Dr., Natick, Mass., 01760. Funeral arrangements were through Wiggin-Purdy-McCooey-Dion Funeral Home, 655 Central Ave., Dover, N.H., (www.purdyfuneralservice.com).