03/18/2026
🌟 Meet Will! 🌟
We'd like you to meet Will Barbeau, one of our wonderful residents here at Hattie Ide Chaffee Home, and a gentleman who has lived one incredible century (and then some)! Will just celebrated his 101st birthday on St. Patrick's Day, with a wonderful celebration given by his loving family. 🍀🎂
Will's story begins with his service to our country. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy, working as an aircraft instrument mechanic with CASU 31 during World War II. It was after his service, as a 22-year-old veteran and a fresh face on campus at Bates College in Maine, that he met the love of his life- Melissa. That was 1947, and the two married in May 1952, going on to raise three children together: Susannah, Laura Jo, and Andrew. Their partnership didn't stop at home, either. Will and Melissa ran their own PR agency together from 1961 to 1994!
Will has always been someone who cares deeply about the world around him. He wrote an environmental column for the Eastbay papers for ten years, championing local issues and helping his community think more carefully about the environment. He was an innovator and an instrument of change.
Will once said, "The world is a bundle of opportunities and responsibilities. We all have a choice, improve it or exploit it." Words worth living by, especially from someone who clearly chose to improve it every step of the way.
Beyond his community work, Will is a man of many passions. He loves to write, he calls it a means of self-expression, and says simply, "It's fun." He was an avid photographer, and fishing has always held a special place in his heart. Will has also played the clarinet since he was a teenager, and he was an avid skier, a life fully and enthusiastically lived!
This is just a small glimpse into the life of Will Barbeau- a Navy veteran, devoted husband and father, environmental advocate, writer, and all-around interesting guy. Will is kind, open, and always happy to have a visitor. So the next time you stop by Hattie Ide, take a few minutes to sit with Will. We promise you won't run out of things to talk about. 😊