William Louis Flaherty

William L. Flaherty, aka Bill, was born to William and Victoria (Lupoli) Flaherty of Stratford, CT on March 12th, 1948. His father, William, a career Sikorsky businessman, and his mother Victoria, a librarian, started their family with young Bill on Stiles Street in Stratford, Connecticut, their backyard adjacent to Wilcockson Elementary School. They quickly grew their family to include younger siblings Tom, Joan and Bob. Bill, being the eldest of the brood, took hold of the leadership position of Big Brother and by the age of four knew Business Management was his calling in life. It was an idyllic childhood, filled with many happy adventures, sporting achievements in baseball, running, skiing and water skiing and, most important to Bill, academic accolades. At a young age, he also discovered his lifelong love of sports cars. Bill continued his pursuit of academic excellence to Stratfords’ Bunnell High School. It was there that he met the beautiful Irene Liedke, his wife of 51 years.

Bill graduated from Dartmouth College in 1970 and Tuck Business School in 1971. While prioritizing his studies, Bill was active in Greek Fraternal Life, and was a Ski Instructor at the Dartmouth Skiway.

Bill and Irene were married on August 21, 1971 after they both finished college. During the next 51 years they had three children and moved several times; their favorite being England, where they spent three years with their young family. They settled and raised their children in Weston, Massachusetts where they lived for 25 years.

Bill had a successful career in Finance. Starting as a CPA at PwC in CT after business school, he moved to the Treasury Department at Remington Arms. This led to a position at DuPont in Wilmington, DE and then getting transferred overseas to Conoco in England. Upon returning to the States and DuPont, Bill continued his corporate ascent to become Treasurer at James River Paper Goods, Corporate Treasurer at Fidelity Investments, CFO at Gibson Greeting Cards, CFO and Acting CEO at Avid Technology, and CFO & Co-President at Polaroid. He was a strong leader and was passionate about his work. The final feather in his cap was returning to Tuck Business School as a guest lecturer at the end of his career, an honor bestowed for his sharp mind, driving ambition and strong business leadership.

Sadly, Irene passed away in April of this year. Bill is survived by their three children and spouses, Matt & Alison, John & Bridget, Kate & Sean O’Bryan, as well as their eight grandchildren: Jack, Luke, Juliette, Isla, Frances, Charlotte, Vivienne, and Kathryn. While Bill will be greatly missed, we take comfort knowing he is reunited with Irene. He will be remembered for his love of family, sports cars and of course, his dogs. A true leader and wonderful husband and father, Bill’s life, lessons and laughter will always be held dear by his grateful family.

The Funeral will be held on Monday 10/30/23 at 11am at St. Brigid Church (3400 Old Alabama Rd. John’s Creek, GA 30022) followed by the Burial at 12:30 at Green Lawn Cemetery (950 Mansell Rd, Roswell GA 30076).

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Bill to the American Cancer Society, www.donate.cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345