William Howard Boatwright

William Howard Boatwright, Senior Software Engineer, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport, died Feb. 5, as a result of an automobile accident.
Bill was born in Stonington, Conn. on Jan. 28, 1951, the son of the late Victor Taliaferro Boatwright and Mary Howard "Billy" Boatwright. He graduated from Tabor Academy in 1970. He earned his degree in Naval Architecture from the University of Michigan, College of Engineering in 1974 and his Masters' of Science in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981. Bill discovered a passion for computer-aided design (CAD) and software engineering as a Naval Architect for Brown and Root Inc. in Houston, Texas. He assisted the development of the mathematical models commonly used in 3-D design packages at Computervision, Sensable Inc. and Hibbit, Karisson & Sorensen before joining NUWC in 2002. He applied his subject matter expertise to designing, developing and integrating Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems. Throughout his innovative and successful professional career he wed precise, accurate attention to detail with great imagination. His kind and often wild sense of humor was ever-present as well.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Louisa, and cherished daughter, Victoria, of Newport. He also leaves behind his large and loving family: his twin brother, Jack and wife Tia Lombardi of San Francisco; his sisters, Dorsey Boatwright and husband Enrique Da Cal of Barcelona and Tolly Boatwright and husband Paul Feldblum of Durham, N.C.; his devoted nephews and niece, Charlie and Phoebe Boatwright and Joseph and Sammy Feldblum; and his cousin Betty Crowley and husband Bob of Bronxville, N.Y.
In addition to his scattered but close-knit family, Bill had much wider communities. He embraced Louisa's family: her mother, Lib Holt; her brother, Emmett Holt, wife Gwen and children, Cordelia and Calvert; and her sister, Carrie Scholz, husband Chris and daughter, Chelsea. He was a brilliant sailor who competed successfully, including in Stonington, Olympic trials in Galveston Texas, the Charles River, and Newport, where he and his family were members at the Ida Lewis Yacht Club and Sail Newport. He was an avid tennis player. One of Bill's many amazing characteristics was his love of family, which he defined as anyone who loved someone he loved; another was to create fun and loving times with unforgettable memories. His loss is incalculable.
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Chapel at St. George's School, 372 Purgatory Rd., Middletown, R.I. 02842. Parking is not available at St. George's due to the recent snow. All parking will be at the Atlantic Beach Club, 55 Purgatory Rd., Middletown, with shuttle service from the parking lot beginning at 12:30 p.m.; please allow extra time.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Bill's memory to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, 20 Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland Blvd., Newport, RI 02840 (www.mlkccenter.org).