John Bidwell Millard, 80, of Cohasset MA died on August 28, 2012. He was born in Newton, MA on January 6, 1932, the son of Violetta Bidwell and Norman R. Millard, and the brother of Norman R. Millard, Jr., all of whom pre-deceased him. He grew up in Newton, attended Hebron Academy in Maine and graduated from Harvard College in 1954, having majored in Physical Sciences. An NCAA champion and one of the 5 fastest freestyle swimmers in the world, he was invited to participate in the Olympic Trials in California in 1952 but declined because he had to work to earn tuition. After serving in the U.S. Army in New Jersey, he immediately joined Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, MA where he worked with great pleasure for 40 years in Engineering Quality Control and Reliability. As George Bernard Shaw said, "Happy is the man who makes a living by his hobby," and John did just that, as photography was his lifelong interest from the age of 12. He was granted 3 patents, including one that moderated the exposure of bright snow and beach scenes to prevent overexposure. Polaroid leased this patent to major SLR camera companies around the world. John studied with Josef Karsh and Ansel Adams at Yosemite and won many photographic prizes including 3 Best of Show awards at the Quincy Art Festival. Upon retiring, he established Custom Imaging, a small company through which he restored photographs. He was the United States representative to the International Standards Organization (ISO) Committee on Exposure, a member of the Society of Photographic Scientists and Engineers, an avid member of the Cohasset Golf Club and president of the Old Goats. He was the extraordinary and loving husband of Elizabeth (Betsy) (Jockers) Millard and the father of a son, Stuart M. Millard of Scituate, MA and his wife Edith, and a daughter, Janice Millard Nykyforchyn of Waterford, CT and her husband John. He is also survived by 2 stepdaughters, Lauren Alemian Saleski of Hingham, MA and her husband Stephen, and Jennifer Alemian Kinscherf of Cohasset MA and her husband Robert. Eight surviving grandchildren include Christine, Michael and Danielle Nykyforchyn; Katherine, Michael and Kristin Saleski; and Carly and Richard Kinscherf. He had a deep and abiding love for, and tremendous pride in, each member of his extended family and was truly beloved in return. All who knew John will recall his quiet modesty, his keen intellect, his love of laughter and his generous and kindly, non-judgemental spirit. He always made time to help others, whether to fix a computer glitch or find a pair of errant eyeglasses. A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, September 4 at 4 PM at the First Parish in Cohasset Unitarian Univeralist Meeting House on Cohasset Common, to be followed by a celebratory reception across the street, 25 North Main Street, at the Parish House. Donations in John's memory may be made to Hospice of the South Shore, whose loving team made John's last weeks so comfortable, 30 Resevoir Park Drive, Rockland, MA 02370.
