Ormand J. “Brud” Wade, 64, of Southport, ME, died Jan. 14, 2004 at home after a long, courageous battle with cancer. He was born April 12, 1939 in Key West, FL, a son of the late Charles and Jean Wade. Raised in Boothbay, he graduated from Boothbay Region High School in 1957. Orm received his BS Degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Maine and his MS Degree in Management from MIT. Orm began his career in 1961 with AT&T Long Lines’ Engineering Department and advanced through the company’s Engineering, Operations, Marketing, and Personnel Departments. In 1983, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Illinois Bell. He was appointed President of the Ameritech Bell Group in 1987 and retired as Vice Chairman of Ameritech. While in Chicago, he served as a Director of Illinois Tool Works, Andrew Corporation, Westell, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, National Bank of Detroit, and the Institute For Illinois. He was a trustee of the University of Chicago and the Brookfield Zoo. He also served as Chairman of the United Way Campaign of Chicago and was a member of the Commercial and Economic Clubs of Chicago. Orm and his wife Miriam moved to Southport, ME after retiring. He became very active in the community serving as a trustee of the YMCA, a board member of the Boothbay Student Aid Fund, and a Trustee of the Southport Methodist Church. He was also a member of the President’s Development Council and the Board of Visitors at the University of Maine. He was an avid sailor and enjoyed sailing along the Maine coast. He also played golf and tennis and enjoyed fishing both salt and fresh water. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Miriam; a son Charles and his wife Kay, of Hopkinton, MA; a daughter Valerie Bagg and her husband Bryan, of Gurnee, IL; and four grandchildren, Jenifer and Austin Wade, and Katelyn and Joshua Bagg; a brother Charles and his wife Nilla of Key Largo, FL, and sisters Susan Pinkham and her husband Larry, and Rebecca Clifford and her husband Ronnie, all from Boothbay also survive him. A memorial service will be held at the Southport Methodist Church on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. with a reception immediately following at the Southport Town Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ormand J. Wade Trust at the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund, P.O. Box 293, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538. Arrangements are entrusted to Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home, 975 Wiscasset Rd., Boothbay, ME.
