William E. Cusack Jr.

DURHAM - William E. Cusack, Jr., 83, of Durham, N.H., died Monday, May 4, 2015, at Saint Ann Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Dover, after a long illness.

Born in Syracuse, N.Y., on June 13, 1931, he was the son of William E. Cusack and Shirley S. Cusack, and the grandson of Dr. Erwin J. Cusack of Fulton, N.Y. He graduated from Utica Free Academy, received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Rochester, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Syracuse University.

Dr. Cusack served an internship at Buffalo General Hospital and practiced briefly in Star Lake, N.Y. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Navy in the fall of 1957 and trained as a flight surgeon at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. He was assigned to the HU-2 helicopter squadron at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station before entering a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital. He completed 10 years of service in the Navy at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and left the service as a Lt. Commander for private practice in Dover, N.H., in 1965. In 1978, he enrolled in the Maine Air National Guard as a flight surgeon, and was subsequently promoted to State Air Surgeon. He retired from service in the United States Air Force in 1990 as a Colonel, and was awarded The Legion of Merit, "For exceptional meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services."

During his 30 years of private practice in Dover, Dr. Cusack co-founded Garrison Medical Professional Association, now Garrison Women's Health, assisted in the creation of Dover Doctors' Park, and helped establish the Strafford County Prenatal Clinic, the first such clinic in New Hampshire. He was an innovative practitioner that established the nation's first office-based real-time ultrasound; served as Chief of Medical Staff at Wentworth-DouglassHospital; and earned the American Cancer Society of New Hampshire Volunteer of the Year Award.

Dr. Cusack retired from private practice in 1995 but continued to practice medicine as a locum tenens, holding licenses in 11 states. This role enabled him to spend more time in his beloved White Mountains and UpperValley, practicing in Berlin, New London, Lebanon, and North Conway. He also thoroughly enjoyed practicing in Maine, including in Biddeford, York, Machias, Damariscotta, Presque Isle, and Waterville. He was an active member of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Audubon Societies of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Cusack of Durham; two sons: William Cusack of Oklahoma City, OK, and Darwin Cusack and his wife, Cyndi of Bedford; three daughters: Gillian Cusack of South Berwick, Caitlin Cusack of Chevy Chase, Md., and Meghan Cusack of Alexandria, Va.; daughter-in-law, Susan Cusack of Barrington; eight grand-children and several cousins. He was predeceased by a son, Robert Cusack of Barrington.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas More, 6 Madbury Rd., Durham. Burial with military honors will be at 2:30 p.m. in St. Mary New Cemetery, Dover. In lieu of flowers, donations to New Generation, 568 Portsmouth Ave., Greenland, N.H. 03840 would be much appreciated.

Please go to www.taskerfh.com to sign the on-line guest book.