Lester Joseph Dequaine

NAPLES, Fla. - Lester Joseph Dequaine, of Naples, Fla., passed away Thursday, June 16, 2016.

A native of Green Bay, Wis., he was born on March 15, 1930. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin and bachelor of laws degree from Fordham School of Law. He also studied international law under a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Paris, France. In 1961, he joined the law department of the Stauffer Chemical Company, located in Westport, Conn., and was later named assistant director of the department. He was appointed assistant to the president in 1967, and two years later assumed the position of vice president of employee relations. In 1983, he advanced to senior vice president administration. During the years when he made his home in Connecticut, he served as trustee and member of the executive committee of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, and commissioner of the Bridgeport Historic District Commission. In 1994, following his retirement, he established the Lester Dequaine Foundation, a non-profit charitable corporation which opened three musuems in Meriden. The first of these was the National Shaving and Barbershop Museum, housing his vast personal collection of artifacts, an area where he gained national recognition as the author of the first book published about collectible Razor Blade Banks. The second museum contained the large collection of glass belonging to Frank Chiarenza, a longtime friend, through whose influence he also became interested in Milk Glass, joining membership in the National Milk Glass Collectors Society. The third museum was devoted to artifacts relating to the Metropolitan Opera diva, soprano Rose Ponselle, whom Maria Callas called "the greatest of us all." Regrettably, none of these museums is extant today.

His survivors include some distant relatives; and his many friends.

His burial conducted by the Beachwood Society Cremation Services. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice.