William Duggan Sweeney [1750] ¹

  Noted events in his life were:

• Military: U.S. Marine Corp, Between 1942 and 1946. ³

• He was educated at University of Massachusetts in 1950 in Amherst, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. ³

• Graduate: Whitman High School, 1942, Whitman, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

• He appeared on the Federal census in 1930 in Whitman, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. ⁴

• His obituary was published in the Sacramento Bee on 5 Jun 2009. Wildlife official William Sweeney, outspoken conservationist
By Robert D. Dávila, bdavila@sacbee.com
www.sacbee.com, Page 3B

William "Bill" Sweeney, a former head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in California who brought national attention to bird mutations caused by toxic soil at the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, died Saturday of cancer, his family said. He was 84.
Mr. Sweeney became California director of Fish and Wildlife in 1976 and worked on issues related to waterfowl, fisheries and endangered species. He established wildlife refuges and supported a captive breeding program to restore the California condor.
An ardent conservationist, he ran afoul of Washington officials for opposing federal policies that hurt California's natural resources. He expressed concern about environmental harm caused by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's irrigation projects in the San Joaquin Valley and contamination from farm runoff. He supported the Public Trust Doctrine, which asserts water and wildlife must be protected for the benefit of all Californians.
"Bill was a man of incredible integrity," said Jim McKevitt, a retired Fish and Wildlife manager. "He wouldn't back down in the face of politics."
Mr. Sweeney took early retirement in 1983 after the U.S. Interior Department abolished his position. The move freed him to speak out publicly about bird deaths and deformities at the Kesterson refuge area in Merced County, where biologists found selenium contamination in the soil.
In interviews with the CBS show "60 Minutes" and other news media, he traced the poison to farms irrigated with federally subsidized water and accused Interior officials of conspiring to cover up the problem. The refuge area eventually was closed.
"It was out of character for people who retire," said Felix Smith, a former Fish and Wildlife biologist who helped expose the problem at Kesterson. "Most just hang up their shingle and sit back and relax. But Bill didn't do that."
William Duggan Sweeney's devotion to protecting the American West was rooted in early years spent hunting, fishing and trapping in New England. The eldest of eight children, he was reared in Whitman, Mass. An excellent athlete, he gave up a football scholarship at Providence College to join the Marines during World War II.
He married Anne Baker in 1949 and earned a wildlife management degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He joined the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1950 and worked in six states before moving to Sacramento to lead the agency in California.
Mr. Sweeney settled easily into retirement after 32 years of public service. He enjoyed golfing, gardening at his Citrus Heights home and traveling to visit family, friends, and Fish and Wildlife reunions throughout the western United States.
"He loved the outdoors out here," said his son Jim. "He turned down opportunities to move up in the agency in Washington because there was no guarantee he could return out here. He chose to just stay."

More Information
William "Bill" Sweeney
Born: Jan. 21, 1925 Died: May 30, 2009

Survived by: Wife, Anne of Citrus Heights; daughters, Katherine Sweeney of Bend, Ore., and Mary Mitten of Vancouver, Wash.; sons, William of Palatine, Ill., James of Santa Rosa and Thomas of Orangevale; sisters, Jane Barrows of Plymouth, Mass., and Mary Blanchard of Exeter, N.H.; brothers, Mark of Swampscott, Mass., and Michael of Middleborough, Mass; and seven grandchildren

Services: Funeral Mass, noon today at Holy Family Catholic Church, 7817 Old Auburn Road, Citrus Heights
In memory: Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org ; the Natural Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org ; or any charity.

• His obituary was published in the Sacramento Bee on 3 Jun 2009. William D. Sweeney of Citrus Heights passed away on May 30, 2009, surrounded by his wife and children. Born Jan. 21, 1925 and raised in Whitman, Mass., he served in the Marines during World War II and graduated from the University of Massachusetts, where he played baseball and hockey. He married his high school sweetheart, Anne M. Baker, in 1949. They celebrated their 60th anniversary with a family gathering in January. After working briefly for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, he joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1950. He spent 32 years in the Service, retiring as the agency's chief executive in California. In retirement, he enjoyed golf, gardening and traveling to visit his children, his many friends and the natural wonders of his beloved American West. He is survived by his wife Anne; children Katherine (Doug), Mary (David), William (Patricia), James (Shari) and Thomas (Nancy); and grandchildren Christine Anne, Megan, Joshua, Daniel, Christine Ann, Colleen and Brendan. Visitation will be from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Thursday at East Lawn Mortuary, 5757 Greenback Lane, Citrus Heights. A funeral Mass will be at noon Friday at Holy Family Catholic Church, 7817 Old Auburn Road, Citrus Heights. Memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Society or the Natural Resources Defense Council.

• His obituary was published on 3 Jun 2009 in Santa Rosa, California. Here is a more complete version of my Dad's obituary:
William D. Sweeney loved his family, and he loved the grandeur of the American West.
A son of New England, he moved west with his work in wildlife conservation, raising his family and exploring the outdoors in the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains and the along the Pacific Coast .
He died Saturday (May 30) in Citrus Heights, Calif., surrounded by his wife and children, after a short bout with cancer. He was 84.
Born Jan. 21, 1925, he was raised in Whitman, Mass., the eldest of eight children in the family of William M. and Margaret Sweeney. He excelled in athletics and developed his love for nature through hunting, fishing and trapping in his home state.
Bill graduated from Whitman High School in 1942 and bypassed a football scholarship from Providence College to join the U.S. Marine Corps. After World War II, he attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst , where he studied wildlife management and played intercollegiate baseball and hockey. He returned home on weekends to play quarterback for Whitman's semi-pro football team.
He chose his career path not so much because of his love for the outdoors, but because the U Mass wildlife program was in Amherst . With so many returning veterans starting school, a number of university programs were offered on decommissioned military bases. Wildlife management courses were in Amherst . Bill didn't want to be on an army base; he wanted to be in Amherst where his high school sweetheart, Anne M. Baker, was studying.
Bill and Anne were married in 1949. They celebrated their 60th anniversary in January with a family gathering in Sacramento .
He graduated from college in 1950 and, after working briefly for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, moved with his wife and first daughter to Grand Island, Neb., where he joined the Missouri River Basin Studies unit of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1950. In his spare time, he pitched for a semi-pro baseball team.
Bill spent 32 years in the Service, working on issues involving water fowl, fisheries and endangered species, including the recovery of the California condor. His assignments moved him to Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Oregon, Colorado and California, while his family grew to include five children, seven grandchildren and two well-pampered beagles.
Bill retired in 1983 as the agency's chief executive in California and continued to make his home in the Sacramento area.
In retirement, he pursued his passion for golf, worked in his gardens and traveled extensively, visiting his children, his many friends and the natural wonders of his beloved American West.
Bill is survived by his wife, Anne; daughters Katherine (Doug) of Bend, Ore. and Mary Mitten (David) of Vancouver, Wash.; sons William (Patricia) of Palatine, Ill., James (Shari) of Santa Rosa, Calif. and Thomas (Nancy) of Orangevale, Calif.; grandchildren Christine Anne of Vancouver, Megan of Orcas Island, Wash., Joshua of Bend, Daniel and Christine Ann of Orangevale, Colleen of Palatine and Brendan of Santa Rosa; sisters Jane Barrows of Plymouth, Mass. and Mary Blanchard of Exeter, N.H.; brothers Mark of Swampscott, Mass. and Michael of Middleborough, Mass.; and many cousins, nephews and nieces.

He was predeceased by his brothers Leonard (Louise), Richard (Jean) and Charles (Janice).

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday (June 4) at East Lawn Mortuary, 5757 Greenback Lane , Citrus Heights (www.eastlawn.com). A funeral Mass will be held at noon Friday (June 5) at Holy Family Catholic Church, 7817 Old Auburn Road , Citrus Heights . Interment will follow at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Citrus Heights .

Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), the Natural Resources Defense Council (nrdc.org) or a charity of your choice.
Jim Sweeney, Santa Rosa, California

• He was buried at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Citrus Heights, California on 5 Jun 2009.

William married Living