John SOMES SSDI: John Somes Last Res: 34748 Leesburg, Lake, FL Born: 27 Mar 1905 Died: 20 Sep 2005 SSN issued: Massachusetts (Before 1951) Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA) - September 23, 2005 Deceased Name: John Somes , 100; was longtime local educator Friday, September 23 SHEFFIELD — John Somes, 100, of Altoona, Fla., a longtime resident of New Marlborough and Sheffield, died Tuesday, Sept. 20, at his home in Altoona. Born in Otis on March 27, 1905, son of Henry Roy and Kate Hannah Davison Somes, he was raised in Otis and was a 1926 graduate of Mount Herman School in Northfield. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts, then known as the Massachusetts Agricultural College, in 1930. In 1954, he received his master's degree in education from Columbia University. Mr. Somes was an educator all his life, beginning as the principal of the New Marlborough Central School in Mill River from 1931 to 1942. He then returned to the area as superintendent of schools for the Southern Berkshire School District from 1945 to 1957. During those years he lived in Sheffield. He was also a teacher in Bernardston in 1942; in Port Jervis, N.Y., in 1943, and Milford, Pa., in 1944. He was later superintendent of schools in East Windsor, Conn., from 1957 to 1961, and in Colchester, Conn., from 1961 to 1965. He was headmaster of The American School in Lima, Peru, from 1965 to 1967, and he then taught science in schools in Massachusetts and Florida from 1967 to 1980, finally retiring from education at the age of 75. As the first superintendent of schools of the Southern Berkshire Regional School District, the first 12-grade regional school district in Massachusetts, one of his major achievements was the building of the original Mount Everett Regional High School in Sheffield in 1955. Mr. Somes was part of a Boston University Centenarian Study on longevity during the last five years of his life. He outlived three brothers and two sisters, all of whom lived well into their 90s, but he did not beat the longevity of his grandmother, Jennie Davison of Otis, who lived to 103. Mr. Somes was a furniture maker, carpenter, do-it-yourselfer, photographer and birdwatcher, and he belonged to the Audubon Club, as well as being a past member of the Kiwanis Club and Lions Club. He was a member of the Pilgrims' United Church in Fruitland Park, Fla. He lived for 20 years in Hernando, Fla.; five years in Inverness, Fla., and the last 11 years at Lakeview Terrace in Altoona. Mr. Somes was the widower of the former Marion C. Jones, also originally of Otis, who died in 1992. He leaves his second wife, the former Virginia Fox of Altoona; a daughter, Rebekah J. Crampton Kamukala of Wilbraham, a judge in the Hampden County Juvenile Courts; four sons, John D. Somes of Pomona, Calif., Austin H. Somes of Cupertino, Calif., retired Navy Capt.Timothy E. Somes of Newport, R.I., and Theodore A. Somes of Leesburg, Fla; 13 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. FUNERAL NOTICE — In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to "The John Somes Scholarship Fund," for the benefit of a graduate from Mount Everett Regional High School attending the University of Massachusetts. Contributions may be made in person at any Berkshire Bank Branch, Account #100020 159540, or may be mailed to The Berkshire Bank, 431 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056, Attention: Carla Alves, Bank Branch Manager. He also leaves a son-in-law, George Kamukala of Wilbraham; three daughters-in-law, Susan Somes of Cupertino, Calif., Linda Somes, of Newport, R.I., and Martha Somes of Leesburg, Fla.