Obituary: Alan W. Metzger, 78, Navy Lt. Commander

Alan W. Metzger, 78, died Monday, September 15, 2014 at Beth Israel- Deaconess Hospital in Boston. He was a resident of North Kingstown and Exeter for over 50 years. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late Alan F. Metzger and Natalie E. (Whitten) Metzger. He was the cherished husband of the late Kathleen G. (Dell) Metzger, to whom he was married for 47 years.

Alan Metzger graduated from the Moses Brown School in 1953, and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1957 with a degree in Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering. After completing Officer’s Candidate School, he served in the Navy on several destroyers including the USS Miller. He retired as a Lt. Commander. He and a friend then purchased the Wickford Shipyard and the “ Top of the Dock” restaurant . Mr. Metzger then worked for thirty years designing industrial winding, unwinding, cutting and slitting machinery for the textile, plastics, and non-woven industries at Parkinson Manufacturing Company in Smithfield, retiring as its President. Mr. Metzger was a founding member and past commodore of the Wickford Yacht Club and was active in the USS Saratoga Association.

He leaves three children: Eileen M. Bulger and her husband Douglas of Seattle, WA, Susan M. Blazek and her husband Alfred of Lake Orion, MI, and Scott F. Metzger and his wife Rebecca of Plymouth, MA. He was grandfather to 11 grandchildren and the brother of Joan (Metzger) Badger of Wilbraham, Massachusetts.

His Funeral Service will be held Friday, September 19, 2014 at 11:00 am in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 55 Main Street, Wickford. Burial with Military Honors will follow in the RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter. Calling hours are respectfully omitted. Kindly omit flowers. Gifts in his memory to the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 123, Washington, D.C. 20004 will be appreciated. Arrangements have been entrusted to THE CRANSTON-MURPHY FUNERAL HOME of WICKFORD. For online messages of condolence, kindly visit www.CranstonMurphy.com