HENRY THAYER

I met Henry and Ft. Sill, Oklahoma in 1958. He became a good friend and we enjoyed very much listening to the music of Duke Ellington and discussing railroads which were a lifelong passion of my Father. I knew, I thought, a considerable amount about railroads, their names, their routes, their amenities (remember it was the 50's). After meeting Henry, I let him do all the talking about railroads, those he had ridden, to where he had ridden them, and those he had not rode - passenger or freight notwithstanding. I am certain he will be missed by everyone who ever knew him. Rest in peace old friend.

Jim Boyce, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

After sending my first message I remembered something I should have added. Henry was the only guy that any of us knew who sent a foot locker full of train timetables to Korea as part of his baggage. JLD

I was a classmate of Henry's at Ft. Sill in FAOBC-5-59. I also served in a field artillery unit that was stationed next door to Henry's 38th FA battalion. We had great times. Mrs. Thayer and children Henry was a great guy. I am sorry for your loss.

Henry was an icon in Boston and beyond. He was a human library with a kind soul and a golden heart. He will be missed deeply.

Henry was a valued member of the Massachusetts legal community, a dear friend and former law partner - I am sharing a portion of an announcement that was circulated last week among the lawyers who knew and practiced with Henry:

Henry served as president of the Massachusetts Conveyancers' Association, REBA's predecessor, in 1988 and he received the group's highest honor, the Richard B. Johnson Award, in 1995. He was also a past president of The Abstract Club. In addition, he served for many years as chair of the joint amicus committee of both groups.

He spent his entire legal career at Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster, P.C., having joined the firm in 1964, the year of his admission to the bar. For over 43 years he advised clients with respect to real estate titles as extensive as a city block or a 3600 acre tract or as local as the disputed use of a driveway. Throughout his career Henry participated in the Boston Bar Association's Volunteer Lawyers Project. In 1991 he received the BBA's Pro Bono Award. In 1998 he received the Massachusetts Bar Association's Pro Bono Award. In addition to REBA and The Abstract Club, he was a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Boston Bar Association. He was a fellow at the prestigious American College of Real Estate Lawyers.

Henry was the driving force behind updating and bringing back into use the seminal book on Massachusetts title and conveyancing practice, editing the eighth and ninth editions of Crocker's Notes on Common Forms, published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. With special expertise on railroad titles, Henry also contributed to MCLE's Real Estate Title Practice in Massachusetts. He was widely recognized as the "Dean of Titles" who contributed immeasurably to the field of Massachusetts real estate law and to the training and professional development of the bar; he was instrumental in leading and shaping the Massachusetts community of real estate lawyers. His dedication to his clients, leadership in the real estate bar, and career-long commitment to the education and training of others exemplify the best of our profession's rich legal heritage, and his generosity towards fellow members of the bar and to clients of all kinds, most notably those of limited means, was legendary.

A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Henry began his service in the U.S Army Reserve as a private in 1955, serving in the Korean conflict in 1950 and 1960, and retiring with the rank of Colonel in 1988.

A scholarship was founded in his name this past year to honor Henry for all that he has done to advance the legal profession and improve the lives of others.

He was a treasure and he will be deeply missed.

Lauren D. Armstrong, formerly of Rackemann, Sawyer and Brewster

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