Obituary of William Joseph Trainor

William Joseph Trainor Jr., 90, of McLean, died April 28, 2015 of natural causes. Born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 26, 1924 of Irish and Italian immigrant parents, Mr. Trainor was raised in Medford, Massachusetts where he excelled as both an athlete and a scholar. An all-state quarterback and captain of Medford High School's football team, Mr. Trainor led the team to consecutive state championships, and graduated with honors. He attended Notre Dame briefly before enlisting in the Army in 1943 during World War II, serving as a medic in Europe in the last two years of the war. Fate intervened when an accidental switch in orders sent his unit to Nice, France instead of north to what became the Battle of the Bulge. It was in Nice that he met a local French girl who became his beloved partner of 68 years, Jeanine (predeceased). Upon his return to the U.S., Mr. Trainor received his undergraduate degree from Tufts University and did his Ph.D. work in political science at Harvard. He worked at several non-profits before joining the U.S. Department of State in 1967 as a Foreign Service Officer where he served as Deputy Director, Office of External Research, Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He was awarded the Department of State's Superior Honor Medal in 1970. Mr. Trainor as known for his diverse intellectual pursuits, philosophy and history in particular. He and his wife shared a keen interest in art and antiques, and he was an avid collector of fine wines, Bordeaux in particular. A lover of classical music, he took up the piano later at age 50 and played daily until the end of his life. Following his wife's death in 2010, he remained in their McLean home reading, playing the piano, and writing two large unpublished works of fiction. Mr. Trainor is survived by three children, Bill Trainor and his wife Jeannie of Olney, Maryland; Monique Rutledge and husband Joe of Weston, Connecticut, and Michelle Chauvin and husband Gerry of Reston, Virginia; and ten grandchildren, Colin, Lauren and Greg; Elizabeth, Meredith and William; Michael, Matthew, Kevin & Daniel. Internment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, date to be determined