Attorney Wilbur A. Hyatt (78) of Methuen, died Thursday evening, May 21, 2009, at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, after being admitted one day earlier. He was born on April 10th, 1931 in Lawrence, Massachusetts to the late Armand and Nadema (Ahie) Hyatt.
Wilbur is survived by his beloved wife for 57 blessed years, Angelina Manzi Hyatt, and their 7 children and 21 of their 22 grandchildren, who affectionately called him “Jiddo” in honor of his Syrian heritage.
Children (in order of age):
Attorney Armand Hyatt (wife, Karen); Father Martin Hyatt, Saint Basil Seminary in Methuen; Nadema Angela Gemmell (husband, Douglas) of Windham, NH; Doctor Peter Hyatt (wife, Maureen) of Windham, NH; Sofia Elizabeth White (husband, Ian) of Andover; Attorney Francis Hyatt (wife, Wendy) of Hollis, NH; and Doctor Joseph Hyatt (wife, Elizabeth) of Bedford, NH, together with nephew Jeffrey Hyatt of Lawrence, who was like another dear son to his beloved uncle.
Grandchildren (in order of age):
Brett Hyatt, Wesley Hyatt, Wilbur Hyatt, Carter White,
Elizabeth Gemmell, Peter White, Sofia Hyatt,
Aaron Blaise White (living in heaven), Hannah Hyatt, Lucius White,
Joseph Emmanuel Hyatt , Douglas Gemmell, Angelina Hyatt, Solomon White, Jenna Hyatt, Julia Hyatt, Joseph Martin Hyatt, Micah White, Daniel Hyatt, Rachel Hyatt, Jude White and Artemis White
Known by close friends and family as “Zeke”, he was also survived by two sisters, Margaret Barton (wife of ret. Marine Lt Col Willis Barton) of Catonville, MD and Blanche Baderian of Methuen. His deceased brother, Doctor Solomon A. Hyatt formerly of Methuen, died in 1997. “Uncle Zeke” also had scores of beloved nieces and nephews, many of whom loved to sing along with him at family gatherings, or even while driving.
A devout practicing Catholic, Wilbur was a member of Saint Joseph’s Parish in Lawrence and---for 20 years---would also cantor at Divine Liturgies at Saint Basil Seminary in Methuen (also Melkite Catholic), where he additionally served as a multi-purpose volunteer, including several times as Rector, the retreat team leader in the dynamic Cursillo movement within the Saint Basil’s extended community. He was a Third Order Member of the Basilian Salvatorian Order and a benefactor of the Poor Clare Monastery in Andover.
Wilbur had been actively engaged in Lawrence in the general practice of law, including litigation in State and Federal Courts since his admission to the Mass. Bar in 1954, until his retirement in 2008. He was among the fraternity of “Bay State Building” practitioners for many years until 1981, when the law practice he founded, Hyatt & Hyatt, moved into Lawrence’s North Common Neighborhood.
For more than three decades, Wilbur practiced with Thomas J. Burke, who also served as Register of Deeds for almost the entirety of their association, along with his son, Armand, and also with present Juvenile Court Judge Patricia A. Flynn and former Lawrence City Solicitor Carol Hajjar McGravey, Attorney Angela Tulley (now Angela Zinzmeister) and Attorney Robert C. Autieri..
Wilbur (“Zeke”) was always noted for his sense of warmth and Mediterranean hospitality, giving comfort to his clients with a real “kitchen-table” style of law practice, giving all who walked into his office a truly welcoming feeling, without regard to the status or wealth of the prospective client. His generosity of spirit and relaxed approach certainly did not diminish his skills as a brilliant, thorough and tough negotiator and litigator, however. He was not only highly respected for his dignified demeanor in the courtroom, but also for several high-profile victories in cases ranging from homicide trials to complex real estate development litigation.
In recognition of Wilbur’s excellence and prominence as a local attorney, he was elected to serve and did so as President of the Lawrence Bar Association in the late ‘60s / early ‘70s and was awarded its most prestigious Leadership Award in 2008. His dedication to serve all within the Immigrant City of Lawrence was prodigious.
Wilbur Hyatt was a founding member---and served as pro bono general counsel to help establish---several important Lawrence-based charities:
(1) Lazarus House Ministries (Lawrence) (2) Semana Hispana (Lawrence)
(3) Plains Community Center (Lawrence) (4) Essex Symphony Orchestra (Andover)
(5) Lebanese Community Housing for Elderly (a/k/a “Cedars Homes”) (Methuen)
He also devoted time to public service in the Town of Methuen as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals from 1962 to 1969, when was then elected to served on the Board of Selectman for two consecutive 3-year terms, from 1970 to 1976 , at which point Methuen changed to a Town Manager form of government.
For the past forty years, Atty. Hyatt has been active as an Officer or a Board Member on many other civic, fraternal or charitable organizations, some of which included: Italian-American Toilers, Hamblet Health Club (YMCA) he was a charter member of its Board of Directors. He has served as an Overseer of the Lawrence General Hospital and as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Basilian Salvatorian Order, with its Seminary in Methuen.
Attorney Hyatt’s legal career has also involved extensive legal work in union labor negotiations for the electrical construction industry, including several appearances in arbitrations at the Department of Labor’ s Industrial Relations Council in D.C. From 1960 until the end of 1992, he was Manager of the Northeast Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, dealing with collective bargaining in 7 wage areas in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. As a Negotiator, he helped establish Apprenticeship Programs, Local Pension Plans and Health and Welfare Plans in all regions he serviced. He served on the Board of Trustees of these plans and was Secretary/Treasurer of the chapter area National Electrical Benefit Fund for electrician-members of the I.B.E.W. nationwide.
Wilbur has been a Member of the Board of Directors for the Salem Cooperative Bank in Salem, NH from 1995 until his passing. He was the founding Chairman of that bank’s affiliate, Salem Community Benefit, Inc. He is also an Officer of the Essex Symphony Orchestra, a special event professional symphony orchestra based in Andover, MA.
As a boy, little Zeke spoke only Arabic at home, learning to speak English at Tarbox Elementary School in Lawrence, before attending Lawrence High School, then Northeastern University and finally Boston College School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in law.
His funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 25th, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in Saint Joseph’s Melkite Church in Lawrence, MA.
Burial will follow at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Lawrence, MA.
Family and Friends may call on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 24th, 2009 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 at Saint Basil Seminary, 30 East Street, Methuen, Massachusetts. For online condolences and other information please go to www.breenfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers memorial Contributions may be made to Saint Basil Seminary, 30 East Street, Methuen, MA 01844.