Robert L. Chiesa

He was born in Denver, CO on March 31, 1931, the son of Emanuel L. and Florance (Von Deesten) Chiesa. He received his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1953 and was a 1960 graduate of Boston University School of Law.

From 1953 to 1956 he enlisted in the US Army and served in the Counter Intelligence Corps.

Until 1997, Robert had served as a lawyer and managing partner at Wadleigh, Starr, Peters, Dunn & Chiesa Law Firm in Manchester for many years. His specialties included Trusts and Defense Litigation. Throughout his career, he had presided as Master and Mediator in various cases for the NH Superior Court and the American Arbitration Association. Robert had also litigated numerous high profile cases including the landmark US Supreme Court case of Edward Coolidge vs. The State of NH.

After admittance to the NH Bar Association in 1960, his professional associations were numerous and he earned several awards for his generosity and expertise. He served as the NH Bar Association's president from 1977 to 1978 and was the first recipient of the NH Bar Association Award for "Outstanding Professionalism" in 1989. He also served as president of the Manchester Bar Association from 1974 to 1975. He was a former NH State Delegate to the American Bar Association and served on the ABA House Committees on Membership and Communication. From 1977 to 1983, he was a member of the Governor's Committee to study Workers' Compensation and had also spent 17 years on the NH Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Conduct. In March of 1989, he was named "Lawyer of the Year" by the Manchester Bar Association.

His commitment to his local community drove him to serve as managing trustee for several charitable foundations, including the Agnes M. Lindsay Charitable Trust. From 1976 to 1994, Robert served on the Elliot Hospital's Board of Trustees and was Chairman of the Board from 1981 to 1984. He was also past president of the Manchester Lion's Club. He served as Chairman of the Manchester Historic District Commission from 1994 to 1995 and was a longtime active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church. He served on the Board of Directors at St. Paul Church, the Manchester Country Club, and the Salvation Army.

Family members include his wife of 53 years, Nancy (Randall) Chiesa of Manchester; two sons, Peter Chiesa and his wife Jennifer (Gleason) Chiesa of Manchester, Paul Chiesa and his wife Jennifer (Neville) Chiesa of Candia; five grandchildren, Curtis, Caleb, and Nicholas Chiesa of Manchester and Tiana and Mae-Marie Chiesa of Candia; his brother-in-law, Clayton Randall and his wife Frieda Randall of Rollinsford, NH; four nephews and a niece.

The funeral service was held Tuesday, January 19, 2010 in St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 335 Smyth Road, with the Rev. Richard W. Gray officiating. Urn burial will be Pine Grove Cemetery at a later date.

To honor his life, his family and the Agnes M. Lindsay Trust have established a memorial fund, the Robert L. Chiesa At-Risk Youth Memorial Scholarship Fund to enable low-income youth to obtain post-secondary education. To contribute to this fund, please send your donations to Ruth Zax, Development Director, C/O Child and Family Services, PO Box 448, Manchester, NH 03105.