Maurice H. "Harry" Coblentz Jr. had a long and distinctive connection to the United States. It began with his ancestor, Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Coblentz contributed in his own way, by serving in the Air Corps during World War II. He was a flight instructor for new cadets and then later was a B-29 airplane commander in the South Pacific.

Coblentz died at his Sunnyvale home Dec. 13. He was 82.

After the war, he earned an economics degree at Stanford University and spent his career in group insurance and employee benefits consulting. He was an assistant vice president of Marsh & McClennan, an insurance brokerage firm, and later became a principal with Wm. M. Mercer Co. He retired in 1988.

In retirement, Coblentz and served on the board of Community Association for Rehabilitation. He chaired several golf tournaments for Senior Alliance for Legal Assistance. He chaired the Personnel Commission for the city of Sunnyvale and was a long-time fundraiser for Stanford University.

An avid golfer, he made his first hole-in-one in 2004.

Coblentz is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jean; two daughters, Kathy Miana and Janis Johnson; two sons Martin and Scott; and six grandchildren.

Gifts in his memory may be made to The Galt-Coblentz Endowed Book Fund at the Stanford Libraries, c/o Office of Development, 326 Galvez, Stanford 94305-6105 or of the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to the Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, P.O.Box 7302, Menlo Park 94025.