LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Darwin R. Wales, distin-
guished citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Darwin R. Wales of Binghamton, New York, died on Saturday,
January 9, 2010, at the age of 95; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1914, Darwin R. Wales was a graduate of Williams
College, Class of 1936, and Albany Law School in 1939; and
WHEREAS, A compassionate and highly respected attorney, Darwin R.
Wales began practicing law after the end of World War II and continued
to do so until shortly before his passing; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his extraordinary career, Darwin R. Wales focused
mainly on business, estate and real estate law; while employed by
Hinman, Howard & Kattell LLP, he impressed everyone with whom he came in
contact with, not only for his keen mind, but for how he graciously
interacted with other people; and
WHEREAS, Darwin R. Wales had a great deal of humility and certainly
respected individuals from all walks of life; he would give everyone his
time and undivided attention; and
WHEREAS, Darwin R. Wales' commitment to excellence and his spirit of
humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charita-
ble and civic endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Darwin R. Wales was a founder and passionate supporter of
Broome Community College (BCC), where he served as a trustee for many
years; and
WHEREAS, Giving every individual access to an affordable education was
important to Darwin R. Wales and he always thought ahead to what would
be needed in the future; he helped create the BCC Foundation, which
offers funding for students, and supported additional curriculum,
including liberal arts, bringing BCC beyond being just a technical
school; and
WHEREAS, Following his tenure on the BCC Board of Trustees, Darwin R.
Wales went on to be a member of the SUNY Board of Trustees, where he
held the position of Vice Chairman; and
WHEREAS, While on the SUNY board, Darwin R. Wales remained the lone
voice promoting the importance of community colleges; while the four-
year SUNY schools usually garner the most attention, he always rallied
for the two-year schools and continued to do so throughout his tenure;
and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Darwin R. Wales has been recognized numerous
times for his passion for BCC; in 2007, he received an honorary degree
of Doctor of Humane Letters from BCC during the spring graduation cere-
mony and an administration building has been named after him; and
WHEREAS, Darwin R. Wales was both an incredible attorney and steadfast
advocate for education, but most importantly he was a family man; noth-
ing in the world was more dear to him than his family; and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Alice A. Wales; a son,
Darwin; father, State Senator B. Roger Wales; mother, Alice C. Wales;
and sisters, Mary and Georgia, Darwin R. Wales is survived by sons,
Charles, John, Roger and his wife, Ellen; as well as many grandchildren
and great-grandchildren and surrogate children, Patricia Cusack and
Eileen Kelly; and
WHEREAS, The success of Darwin R. Wales' life is a measure of his
character; he was a kind man gifted with great wisdom and judgment who

did not just get by in life but excelled at it with the help of humility
and vision; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Darwin R. Wales leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Darwin R. Wales, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Darwin R. Wales.