William (Bill) was born on March 14, 1935 in Bronx, NY to the late Edgar Roy Jr. and Irene (Bowen) Colville. Bill was raised in Westchester County, NY and then Frenchtown, NJ before enlisting in the United States Navy in 1953. Attaining the rank of Master Chief - Aviation Electronics, he served on Active Duty for 20 years until his retirement in 1973, which was followed by 10 years in the Naval Reserves. Bill was stationed in multiple places in the USA and he and his family lived in MA, CA, HI, ME, as well as Newfoundland, Canada. His deployments included Guam, Malta, Dominican Republic, South China Sea, Tonkin Gulf, Nuclear Task Force in the Pacific, Japan, Bermuda, Vietnam, Philippines, Iceland, Azores, Spain and many others. Bill received multiple Letters of Commendation, 5 Good Conduct Medals, the Meritorious Unit Commendation for Anti-Submarine Warfare, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for service in the Dominican Republic, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal.
While stationed in Brunswick, ME, Bill met his best friend and the love of his life, Suzanne (Sue) Lavallee and they married May 30, 1958. They were married for over 64 1/2 years and have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. After retiring from the US Navy, Bill and his family settled in Lake Tranquility in Green Township where they lived from 1973 to 2019. William went on to have a 25+ year career in NJ as wholesale liquor salesman working for Joseph H. Reinfeld Co. and the Allied Beverage Group.
Shortly after moving to Green Township, Bill joined the Allamuchy-Green Rescue Squad and proudly served his community as an EMT for 38+ years, saving many lives and helping to deliver 3 babies. His roles on the squad also included time as Lieutenant and as Captain. In 2005, Bill received Green Township’s Mayor’s Recognition Award and the Outstanding Older American award for his community service.
Bill had loved his travel with the Navy and enjoyed sharing stories about the places he saw and his Naval flight experiences. He loved a good joke and was an avid reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast. Bill also enjoyed wine tasting and golf. He loved spending time with friends and family, especially his wife, Sue, and his kids and cherished grandchildren.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Suzanne (Lavallee) Colville, of 64 1/2 years, his caring children, Patricia Ferguson and husband Robert, Michael Colville and wife Lorraine, and Catherine Edwards and husband Daniel and his loving grandchildren, Allison, Zachary, Matthew, David, Hannah, Max and Zane. Along with his parents, Bill is predeceased by his siblings, Marie, Roy and James.
A memorial visitation will be held on Monday, December 19, 2022 from 4-6 p.m. at Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High Street, Newton, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 10 a.m. at Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church, 48 Tranquility Road, Andover, NJ 07821 with interment to follow at Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Cemetery in Green Township.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Allamuchy-Green First Aid Squad, PO Box 25, Tranquility, NJ 07879 or Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601. Condolences can be offered online at www.smithmccrackenfuneralhome.com
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