William A. Lambert

William Alfred Lambert, 90, of North Eastham, MA, passed away quietly at home on March 3, 2022, of natural causes. His loving son, Jonathan, and his beloved primary caregiver, Kim, were by his side. “Bill” possessed a larger-than-life, truly unique personality marked by witty banter, endless stories, spontaneous rhymes, remarkable imitations, continual word play, and a more-than-slightly mischievous sense of humor.

Bill was born on March 24, 1931, in Worcester, MA, to parents Oscar and Eleanor. He was raised in Worcester, where he started his lifelong career in landscaping at the age of 12. He graduated from St. John’s High School, Worcester, in 1948, where “Lambert’s lucky bloody nose” as a lineman in football was a legendary predictor of victory. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts (UMass), Amherst, in 1953 with a degree in Landscape Architecture with concentrations in horticulture and botany, and he received a Regular Army Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Armor branch.

While serving as a Training Officer for his Armor Platoon at Fort Knox, KY, Bill suffered life-threating injuries in a training accident. He was medically retired from the Army following his recuperation at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC. Bill returned to UMass, earning his graduate degree in Landscape Architecture in 1956. While at UMass, Bill met and married his wife, Charleen (nee) Bearce. The couple lived in Springfield, MA; Huntington, WV; Watertown, CT; Prospect, CT; and were longtime residents of Amherst, MA, and North Eastham, MA.

Bill and “Char” raised their six children in Prospect, CT, and Amherst, MA. Bill served as the first ever Landscape Architect for UMass’ “Flagship Campus” for over 31 years, retiring in 1996. During his tenure, the campus experienced tremendous growth, and much of the beauty of the campus today, especially at graduation time, is the result of his expertise in design and plant materials. He was particularly proud of his leading role in supporting disabled access to the many buildings on campus, and he was honored to serve on the President’s Commission for Disabilities that led to establishing design standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For many years, he served as an elected member at Amherst Town Meetings, where he earned a reputation for speaking the truth and attempting to instill common sense solutions along the way.

Bill was an avid gardener, whose flower and vegetable gardens were widely known and admired by all. He was ready and willing to share his gardening expertise with anyone interested and enjoyed guest-lecturing at UMass’s Stockbridge School, The Conway School of Design, and Continuing Education Classes, among others. His bountiful home landscapes provided abundant habitat for the local flora and fauna, and he was enthralled by the beauty of the songbirds that visited his many feeders. He was an ever-faithful fan of all UMass sports, especially the football and basketball teams, along with all the Boston-area major sports teams. His sheer prowess as a cribbage player was surpassed only by his desire to play one more game.

Bill is survived by siblings Robert, Sutton, MA, and Eleanor, Asheville, NC, and five sons – Lt. Col. (Ret.) William and Venera, Largo, FL; Paul and Carolyn, Belchertown, MA; Richard and Jonathan, Amherst, MA; Col. (Ret.) Charles Scott, Stockbridge, MA; and, daughter Charleen and Todd Greenhalgh, Chatham, MA. His 12 beloved grandchildren include Theresa, Jeffrey, Ryan, Sherry, Timothy, Keri, Laziza, Claire, Shannon, Oscar, Danielle, and Casey. He adored his great-granddaughters, Lexi and Sadie, and great-grandson, Caleb. Bill is survived by many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Char, and sister, Constance Cullen.

A private family burial will take place at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne, MA on May 20, 2022. A Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. and a Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on May 21, 2022 at the Nickerson Funeral Home, 77 Eldridge Park Way, Orleans, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Eastham Firemen’s Association, 2520 State Highway, Eastham, MA 02642, or a charity of one’s choice are requested. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com