Alvin "Toppy" Topham dies unexpectedly at 73
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Although he knew change could not be stopped, Alvin "Toppy" Topham did his best to preserve the island's special small-town way of life that he and his family had known growing up here. Mr. Topham, whose dedication to Nantucket and kind and generous nature will be missed by many, died unexpectedly while working in his Topham Management Services office on Friday, Aug. 17, 2007. He celebrated his 73rd birthday on Aug. 1.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent file

Born on Nantucket to Leland and Margaret Topham, Mr. Topham was a man of many accomplishments. After graduating from Nantucket High School in 1952 he joined the Navy and served in the hospital corps from 1953 to 1957. In 1961 he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Bryant College, then received his master's degree in hospital administration in 1964 from the Medical College of Virginia. After a hospital externship and residency, Mr. Topham became an assistant administrator at Fall River's Union Hospital, then an assistant director at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro and associate director at Stoughton's Goddard Memorial Hospital. In 1971 he was named executive vice-president and chief operating officer at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth where he worked until December 1989 while also serving several months as acting president of the South Shore Health and Education Corporation.

When he retired from hospital duties, he returned to Nantucket to open his property management business and became immersed in community activities. He was on the boards of the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce, Nantucket Bank, ASafe Place and Trustees of the Coffin School. He was a member of several organizations, including president of Hospice of Nantucket for three years, the Nantucket Town Association, the VFW and American Legion and the Massachusetts Hospital Association. He was also a founding member and first president of the Health Care Management Association. He is especially known for his years of service on Nantucket's Planning Commission, sitting as chairman in 1993 and 1994, and as a founding member of Sustainable Nantucket.

"For Sustainable Nantucket he was kind of a gyroscope and he made sure everything we did was in the interest of Nantucketers," said Christine Silverstein, director of Sustainable Nantucket. "He has been a friend from the moment I met him when we were involved with the Comprehensive Plan. We became fast friends and stayed that way ever since.

He was one of the wisest and most generous people I've ever met," she continued. "He had a knack for being a caretaker - taking care of the people he cared about. He made me personally feel very safe and that's a safety net I'm feeling is missing now. I'm going to miss him. My family was close with his family, so this is hard."

Selectman Michael Kopko also served with Mr. Topham on Sustainable Nantucket and held him in high esteem.

"He was a founding member and still a very active member. He took a very active interest in the issues we work on and he was sort of our anchor to the island's history," he said. "He was a crusty old Nantucketer and we depended on him a lot. He is definitely irreplaceable. I don't know what we're going to do without him."

Jack Gardner and Frank Spriggs, who were members of the Planning Commission with Mr. Topham, remarked on his dedicated participation in trying to preserve the island's unique standard of living.

"He really had the town at heart," said Gardner. "There was a lot he really wanted to do but just couldn't get done."

Spriggs recalled playing drums with Mr. Topham when they were in the high school marching band. They met in the 1940s.

"Toppy was a true Nantucket native and believed in the island and was very involved in maintaining Nantucket as a nice place to live," said Spriggs, who credits Mr. Topham for being a key force in building a new VFW post near the airport. "He will be missed by not only his family and me, but also islanders who don't even know him. We tried to meet once a week and have a drink after work. Last week he called me and now I regret I couldn't make it. I was supposed to meet him on Saturday."

Mr. Topham's wife of 51 years, Beverly, said the couple traveled extensively around the world and just returned from a trip to Gettysburg a couple of weeks ago. Next week they were to attend the annual reunion on the U.S.S. Randolph, the ship on which he was stationed in the Navy.

"We just got along well together. He wanted to do things for me and I did things for him. I loved him and he felt the same. We had a lot of fun together," she said. "What do I do now? I'm going to miss him. He was my rock and my comfort. The house is going to be too quiet."

Mr. Topham is survived by his wife Beverly, his brother John Topham, Sr. and sister-in-law Jeanette, nieces Leigh, Rosemary, Beth O'Keefe and Anastasia Perry, nephews Patrick and Joseph and Joseph's wife Anne, all of Nantucket, and several cousins. He was predeceased by his nephew, John Topham, Jr.

"For me as a sister-in-law he was a wonderful, caring, giving person to the community as well as to our family," said Jeanette Topham. "He really took to the idea to retain the quality of Nantucket that we had as kids growing up. He really wanted Nantucket to continue as it was."

His nephew Patrick remembers him as a generous gentleman who always managed to slip his credit card to a waitress when the family had dinner out together so when it was time to leave the meal had been paid for. He also remembers him for his sage advice, how he always kept track of what his nieces and nephews were doing and for his great laugh.

"When he chuckled it was just like Santa Claus," said Patrick Topham. "His whole body would bounce when he laughed."

A wake was held on Monday afternoon. Mr. Topham's funeral service was held yesterday morning, Aug. 21, at St. Mary's church. Donations in his

name may be made to the VFW building fund. I