William E. "Bill" Tarlow

William E. Tarlow passed away peacefully and comfortably, with his family at his side, at Springhouse in Jamaica Plain on Thursday November 26, 2020. Bill was born in Brockton, Mass. in 1926 to Daniel and Eva Tarlow (nee Berlin). His older brother, Dick, predeceased him. Bill graduated from Brockton High School (Most Likely to Succeed) and then served in the Navy from 1943-1946. He subsequently graduated from Dartmouth College (1950) and Harvard Law School (1953).

Following law school Bill entered the family shoe business, Stone and Tarlow. In 1957, Bill and his brother purchased the Field and Flint shoe company and merged it with Stone and Tarlow, creating Foot-Joy Inc. Working tirelessly, they built the company into the world’s leading golf shoe manufacturer. With 400 employees at its height, Foot-Joy was one of Brockton’s major employers. For nearly six decades Bill was responsible for production and design, overseeing all factory operations. He had a strong belief in creating a fair and generous workplace and maintained especially warm relationships with his employees. Over the years Bill and Dick expanded the business exponentially. Foot-Joy, in fact, was the last shoe factory operating in Brockton Mass., the one-time shoe capital of the world. The brand (now known as FootJoy) thrives to this day under the ownership of Titleist Inc.

Bill was deeply involved in liberal political causes and civic activities. He was active in the movement against the Vietnam War and served as treasurer of Mass Pax (1967-1972), a political action organization for peace. He later served as treasurer for The Council for a Livable World (1975-1982), an anti-nuclear organization, and was a Boston Zoning Commissioner (1992-2005). In addition, he served in organizations for the employment of disabled people, and was involved in the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, a philanthropic fund devoted to improving the lives of shoe workers.

A warm and kind man, Bill was gentle with others and made friends easily. He was a great believer in building community. One of his favorite communities was Boston’s University Club, where he was a founder of the Early Birds. He cherished the Early Bird’s daily breakfasts, where he was sometimes the lone liberal voice, but where all points of view were treated with respect. More recently, while living at Springhouse, Bill made many good friends, and put his energy and talents into causes that were important to that community, including helping spearhead the opposition to a nearby real estate development in Boston’s Allandale Woods.

Bill had a ready sense of humor and loved old movie comedies. He read widely and deeply, with an abiding interest in American and world history. An avid golfer since youth, he was captain of his college team and twice Massachusetts Junior champion. He was a fine (unpaid) golf instructor. He often claimed that he spent his Navy years giving golf lessons to the Brass.

Bill and his wife Marilyn shared a love of art, movies and friends. Marilyn was an accomplished painter, and with her encouragement Bill took up photography. Bill's photographic eye focused on people, and he travelled the world (as well as the Brockton factory) capturing the daily lives of working men and women with the warmth and humanity that came so naturally to him.

Above all, he was a thoroughly fair and ethical man. He was a man of principle, determined to do right as he saw it.

Bill married Marilyn Weinstein in 1951. She predeceased him in 2018. He leaves behind his children, Steven Tarlow and Linda Levi of Teaneck, NJ, Ellen Tarlow and David Hornung of Woodstock, NY, and Daniel and Ronna Tarlow of Brookline, MA. Bill also leaves behind four beloved grandchildren, Naomi Tarlow and Daniel Newman, Eli Tarlow and Sam Tarlow; and a beloved great granddaughter, Eva Newman. Bill was a devoted husband, a loving, nurturing and cherished father, grandfather and great grandfather. He also leaves behind many dear nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Among his dear ones are Nossie Bucyana and Joanne Williams, who the family would like to acknowledge for the loving care and companionship they showed to Bill and Marilyn during their years at Springhouse. Bill will be deeply missed.

A graveside funeral for immediate family only will be held at Sharon Memorial Park.

Donations can be made in William Tarlow's memory to the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, https://twoten.org/

Shiva condolences by phone or email only.