Donald A. Thurston, 79
CLARKSBURG, Mass. â€' Donald Allen Thurston, 79, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was the president and owner of Berkshire Broadcasting Co. for nearly 40 years.
Born in Gloucester on April 2, 1930, son of Joseph and H. Ruth Leach Thurston, he graduated from the Massachusetts Radio and Telegraph School in 1949. He moved to the Berkshires in 1960.
Mr. Thurston received his FCC broadcast engineering license following graduation and immediately began his broadcasting career at age 19 as an engineer at WTWN in St. Johnsbury, Vt. From 1952 to 1960, he built and managed WIKE in Newport, Vt., then headed operations ofthe former WMNB in North Adams.
In 1966, under the banner of Berkshire Broadcasting Co., Mr. Thurston purchased WMNB and WNAW and expanded the family business with the purchase of WSBS in Great Barrington, as well as several stations in the eastern part of the state and Connecticut. He sold the business in 2004 to Vox Communications.
He was an active member of First United Methodist Church of North Adams, a former Rotarian and a longtime member and past president of the former Northern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. He was the first recipient of the chamber's Francis E. Hayden Award. He was an early advocate and supporter of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and a trustee and chairman of the board at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, serving for a short time as interim president.
He also was a member and served on the board of directors of the Taconic Golf Club and was a director for the former Berkshire Bank & Trust Co. Mr. Thurston ran in the Republican primary for Congress, following the death of the late U.S. Rep. Silvio O. Conte.
He received an honorary of doctor of humanities from North Adams State College (later MCLA) in 1977 and and a honory doctor of humane letters from Emerson College in 1995.
He was chairman of the joint board of the National Association of Broadcasters and received the industry's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, in 1980. During Mr. Thurston's tenure with NAB, he founded the Broadcast Capital Fund, a venture capital firm that helped fund minority ownership of broadcast properties, and served on its board of directors. For 15 years, he was a director of Broadcast Music Inc., one of the largest international music licensing organizations, and served as chairman of the board from 1994 to 1997. He was inducted into both the Massachusetts and Vermont Broadcasters halls of fame.
While his business, industry and civic achievements were important to him, his greatest joy in life was his family.
He and his wife, the former Oralie Alice Lane, were married Sept. 9, 1951, in West Burke, Vt.
Besides his wife, he leaves a daughter, Carolie Lane Collins and her husband, Robert B. Collins, of St. Paul, Minn.; a son, Corydon Leach Thurston and his wife, Marie, of Williamstown; a brother, J. Allen Thurston; five grandchildren, Sarah Thurston, Thomas Thurston and his wife, Julie, Ross Thurston and Sean and Patrick Collins; two great-grandchildren, Emma and Anna Thurston, and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his twin brothers Walter and George Thurston.
FUNERAL NOTICE â€' A Methodist Memorial Service to celebrate the life of Mr. Thurston will be conducted Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 from First Congregational Church of North Adams by the Rev. Kim Kie, pastor of First United Methodist Church of North Adams.
There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to the Donald A. Thurston Communications Scholarship at MCLA or to First United Methodist Church of North Adams through the Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North Adams, MA 01247.
A video tribute to Mr. Thurston, courtesy of Bob Collins, can be found here.