Captain William J. HurstUnited States Navy (Retired), age 93, passed away Tuesday, October 4, 2011, after a short period of declining health.

He was a member of the class of 1942 at the United States Naval Academy, commissioned as an Ensign on December 19, 1941. During WWII he served on three destroyers: Gunnery Officer USS Talbot, Gunnery Officer USS John Hood, and Executive Officer USS Stoddard. His ships took part in campaigns in the Aleutians, Solomon Islands, Okinawa, and the Third Fleet operations off of Japan.

After WWII he served as Executive Officer USS Dyess, Commanding Officer USS Jack W. Wilke, Commanding Officer USS Cowell, Assistant Plans Officer First Fleet Staff, Commander Destroyer Division 362, Chief of Staff Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 11, and Commander Destroyer Squadron 5. In the last two positions he was involved in operations off North Vietnam and in the Tonkin Gulf.

He also served as Executive Officer aboard the USS Williamsburg, Presidential Yacht for President Harry S Truman. For two and a half years he was in charge of Camp Shangri-La, now know as Camp David.

Shore Billets included Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Bureau of Naval Personnel. He attended the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. and then remained on the Staff as Director, National Strategy Study.

His last active duty was as Professor of Naval Science, Dartmouth College, retiring in 1972 after 30 1/2 years of Naval service. He then worked for Dartmouth College as the Business Administrator at Dick Hall's House. From 1968 - 1993 he was the volunteer head coach of the Dartmouth Sailing Teams. During his tenure as coach, the Dartmouth Men and Women Sailing Teams achieved 4 National championships. In 1999 he was inducted into the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association of North America Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Christina (Testa) Hurst. He leaves behind 4 children, Cheri Hurst and Gil Allen, James Hurst and his wife Susan Damon, Robert Hurst and his wife Cornelia, and Nancy Hurst Goss and her husband Jim. Six grandchildren: Tanis Allen, Lindsay Conway, Jed Allen, Jen Goss, Dana Goss, Anna Hurst, and one great-grandson, Colby Conway.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, October 8, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 5 Summer Street, Hanover, NH. Burial with full Military Honors will take place at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, Boscawen, New Hampshire at a later date.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Rand-Wilson Funeral home.