Bill was born to an Irish-American Catholic family on September 2, 1927, and grew up in Bergenfield, N.J. Growing up during the Depression left him with a life-long love of spice cake and unusual cuts of meat. His wife and children never acquired a taste for either.
Bill attended Xavier High School in New York City and earned a scholarship to Fordham University. Before college, Bill enlisted as an electronics technician in the Navy. In the Navy, he became known as “Skivvy Bill,” the only seaman who insisted on wearing an undershirt in the tropical heat of Guam and Micronesia. While at Fordham, Bill worked at the Bergenfield Post Office. After Fordham, Bill went to Harvard Law School on the G.I. Bill. He met Tia, his loving wife for 54 years, when he drove her home from a date with his best friend from high school.
Bill served in various government positions during his legal career. Bill was the lead prosecution attorney in the then-sensational murder trial of George R. Phillips. He was a New Jersey Judge for 20 years. Bill loved being a judge and refused to retire until his late 70s.
He was proud of his Irish heritage and took his family to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York many times. He also took the family to visit lots of churches and castles in Ireland. The only thing Bill loved more than Ireland and the law was his family. His four siblings, Jean, Eileen, Kay, and Gerard, all predeceased him.
Bill and Tia have four children – Timothy, William (Leah), Elisabeth (Jason), and Gina (Don). They also have six grandchildren, one great grandchild, and many nieces and nephews.
The family will all miss his incredibly detailed stories, his seemingly unending knowledge of everything except popular culture, his love of the Yankees, his uncanny ability to solve any electrical problem, and the way he made dogs stop barking by slowly saying, “we need a calm dog.”
The family is grateful to Dr. Lawrence Kohn and Vitas Hospice for making Bill’s last days more comfortable.
A private funeral will be held.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s name may be sent to Xavier High School in New York City or Micronesia.
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