William Alfred Wechsler

1956 - 2017

William Alfred Wechsler, born May 10, 1956, in Hartford, died unexpectedly in Dubai, UAE Sunday January 15th 2017. He is survived by his children Christophe Wechsler of Prague, Czech Republic, Nicole and Maxwell Wechsler of Hebron, sister Barbara Fleming and her husband Bill Fleming of Port Charlotte, FL, sister Susanne Spear and her husband Charles O. Spear IV of Simsbury, nieces & nephews Carolyn C. Fieger, John W. Fieger III, Heather Spear Clough, Whitney Stewart, Bradford Stewart, Lindsey Stewart Bertellotti, Kaytee Stewart, and Treb Stewart. Dr. Wechsler was predeceased by his parents Senator Alfred Francis Wechsler and Marjorie Cartier (Bouchard) Wechsler and his brother John C. Wechsler. Dr. Wechsler grew up in Hartford where he attended Noah Webster School and graduated from Loomis Chaffee School. He received a BA from Dartmouth College, a JD from Georgetown University, and a PhD in International Relations from McGill University. At the time of his passing Dr. Wechsler was the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at American University Dubai. Dr. Wechsler also served as the Academic Dean and Dean of International Programs at International Horizons College where he taught History and International Relations. Prior to moving to the Gulf, he served as Vice President for Academic Development at the American University in Kosovo (A.U.K.) where he also taught International Relations, Law, and Public Policy. He was a Founder and Director of the Balkan Institute. Dr. Wechsler previously taught at McGill and Concordia Universities in Montreal, Canada and at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. He taught at the University of Vermont in the United States. He has also taught International MBA Programs for the Barney School of Business in Paris, France, and at the Montreux School of Business in Switzerland. He lectured at several universities across Europe and North America including Sciences Po in France, the University of Turin in Italy, the University of Utrecht in Holland, and Yale University in the United States. He presented papers at numerous conferences, worked with many NGO's, IGO's, and public-private partnerships, designed, implemented, and participated in a number of innovative international academic programs. He was a partner at the Law Firm of Bailey & Wechsler. He was a loving father, brother, and friend and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 180 Farmington Ave., Hartford on Sunday (Jan. 29) from 4:00-6:00pm. Dr. Wechsler's Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated in his honor on Monday (Jan. 30) at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery. Donations may be made to the charity of the donor's choice. To send online condolences to the family, please visit www.ahernfuneralhome.com.