Shrewsbury – Robert D. Bushey, 72, died at home Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012 from injuries sustained in a tree-cutting accident on his property. With such sad and profound irony, he died doing what he loved the most, working on his Christmas tree farm on High Street.
Born Sept. 15, 1939 in Framingham, a son of the late Donald H. and Dorothy V. (Gray) Bushey, he moved to Shrewsbury where he lived most of his life. He attended Shrewsbury schools and graduated from Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire. He attended University of New York in Morrisville where he attained a degree in Agricultural Chemistry. He then served in the United States Army just prior to the Vietnam War. He graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor's degree in Business.
Mr. Bushey's professional career began at Waltham Field Station and then as a chemist for American Cyanamid in New Jersey. He was a principal engineer for Polaroid Corporation in Waltham for over 30 years. At Polaroid, he was highly regarded and known to peers as a problem solver and “go-to” guy in his field. He achieved patent rights for inventions while at Polaroid.
His other passion was agriculture. He was a rugged individualist and known to his family as the “engineering and gentlemen's farmer.”
He owned and operated a Christmas tree farm on High Street since 1978 that was known among insiders as the best kept secret in Shrewsbury. It wasn’t just an ordinary tree farm. With statistical analysis every tree was accounted for and he had various methods and schedules for fertilizing, maintaining and growing his Christmas trees.
Based upon good product and word of mouth, Mr. Bushey advertised only once with a poster on one of the doors at Spag's. He also enjoyed membership in the Massachusetts Christmas Tree Growers Association. As an engineer he co-designed and optimized the solar house that exists on the property built in 1981. He was a professional “tinkerer” and always had an experiment on-going and something to tweek. He loved life. He will be so very much missed.
He leaves his children, Kimberly S. Duprey of Boylston and Alan R. Bushey and his wife Cynthia of Shrewsbury; his sister, Barbara J. Daniels and her husband Alan of Pocasset; his grandchildren, twins Kassidy and Alyssa Duprey and Zachary, Oliva and Jasper Bushey; his former wife, Constance L. (Brothers) Bushey McLaughlin in New York; his “grand dogs,” Topaz and Izzy; and nieces and nephews.
Family and friends will honor and remember Mr. Bushey's life by gathering for calling hours Friday, Jan. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m., in Heald & Chiampa Funeral Directors ~ The Sumner House, 5 Church Road, On the Common, Shrewsbury Center, and again Saturday, Jan. 14 in The First Congregational Church, 19 Church Rd., where his funeral service will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Burial with military honors will follow in Mountain View Cemetery.
Honor Mr. Bushey's memory by planting a tree or with a contribution to Autism Resource Center of Central Mass, 71 Sterling St., West Boylston, MA 01583.
To view his online tribute, share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.healdchiampa.com.
