Alvin Omar Converse

Alvin Omar Converse passed away on January 10, 2025 at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Merry (Rhys) Converse. Al met Merry while both were in college. They personified a great marriage full of adventure.

Alvin was an exceptional educator and beloved uncle, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was an avid hiker and world traveler. Alvin loved music, especially opera, taught himself to play the recorder, and performed locally in a recorder ensemble. He enjoyed his family and friends, skiing or walking in the woods, having good conversations and fine woodworking. Alvin was a poet and published a book of his poems (“Downward-Growing Trees”).

Alvin was born on November 6, 1932 to Leroy Smith Converse and Ruth Gardner Converse in Ridley Park Pennsylvania. He and his family lived in Norwich, Vermont from 1963 through 2011 where he served on the school board for several years. He helped establish Norwich’s Bill Ballard and the Converse loop walking trails.

Alvin was a Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering professor from 1963 through 2000. In addition to spearheading Thayer School's research program in the use of enzymes to convert biomass to ethanol, he was instrumental in shaping the school’s curriculum. He taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in thermodynamics, transport phenomena, chemical reactor design, and energy conversion. He enjoyed working with his hands – the practical side of engineering. As part of his thermodynamics class, he required the students to build Stirling Engines in the Dartmouth shop. Many of his students kept their Stirling Engine in a place of honor in their home or office.

Alvin spent the last 14 years living in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he and Merry enjoyed the southwest’s different geography, art and culture.

Alvin was an inspiration to his family, David (wife Robin) Converse of Estes Park, CO, Tom of Lanesborough, MA and James Converse (wife Cindy Sprague) of Huntington, VT, his grandchildren Ethan Converse (wife Annamara) and Iris Converse (husband Robert Cooper), his great grandchildren Charlie and Evelyn Cooper, his nieces Paula Mandle, Donna Converse and Nancy Cimprich, and his nephew Robert Mandle.

A private celebration of life service will be held by the family. 

In lieu of flowers, a donation to food banks such as The Food Depot of Santa Fe https://thefooddepot.org/ or your local food bank in Alvin’s name would be appreciated.