Bill went home to see the Lord on November 24th, 2021 at the age of 74. He was preceded in death by his parents Robert & Edna, brother Jack, sister Susan; former spouse Denise (mother of Tiffany and Robert); father-in-law Richard and mother-in-law Myrtle Gielow. Survived by his wife of almost 27 years Susan; daughters Dawn (Joe) McGovern, Kara, Tiffany (DL) Walter, son Robert (Katie), stepsons Paul (Allison) Barry, and Mark (Jennifer) Barry; grandchildren Sarah, Lilly, Mitchell, Sophia, Katherine, Lucy, Ella, Adelyn, Daniel, Annabelle, Kaden; great-grandchildren Cameryn and Xander.
Bill was born in 1947 in Yokohama, Japan. He graduated from RL Thomas High School, Webster, NY in 1965 where he joined the United States Marine Corps shortly after, serving two combat tours in Vietnam. Bill worked as a computer engineer for Hewlett-Packard and retired in 2005. Bill had many hobbies and was a member of many organizations including: The POW/MIA Marathon team, the VFW, the Vets Center, and also multiple church groups where he found that he could serve others through his faith. Bill will be forever missed by his family and friends. He was and will always be known as a Marine’s Marine, never shying away from trying to help a veteran in need. Bill’s true passion in life was spending quality time with his family, especially his grandchildren, who will always affectionately remember him as “Papa”.
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, December 1st from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Rochester Cremation at 1118 Long Pond Road in the Town of Greece. A celebration of life service will be at Northridge Church, 2052 St. Paul Street, Rochester on December 2nd at 11:00am.
In lieu of Flowers, donations can be made in his name to The Wounded Warrior Project (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org) and to the Fisher House (https://fisherhouse.org
We are so sorry for your loss. Bill was a dear friend to our family. Bill and Vince shared a special bond as Marines and brothers in Christ. Our love and prayers are with your family.
Love,
Vince and Carol
No words but Love strength and uncle Bill was more than anyone may have known . He had a beautiful wife Susan, Love my cousinsKara and Lily , Robert, Katie, Tiffany Dl and , Mark Jennifer.Paul ,Allison,and all his beautiful grandchildren. He was Amazing ,giving , kind and will never be forgotten.
We would occasionally see each other at church or at 4th of July celebrations but when we did it was always great to catch up. I always thought of him and would send him a card every once in awhile to let him know that he was in my prayers. He was a marine veteran, me an army veteran but what we had in common was our service in Vietnam.
This past 4th of July he proudly stood up and sang God Bless America. Brought tears to my eyes then and now. I will truly miss him.
Jim Tudisco
My prayers are with you and you will truly be missed. REST IN PEACE.
So sorry for your loss may God welcome him with open arms🙏🙏🙏for the family
I knew Bill from the VA. It was always a joy to see him when he came in for his appointments. He was a good man, and will be missed
Praying for Sue and all of the family. The sad news is separation from Bill BUT the good news is one day you will see each other again!! Since it has been almost two years since my husband Toni went home to glory I look forward to seeing the reality of Revelation 21:4 He Will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death will be no more, neither shall there be morning nor crying, nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away. Sue & family listen to the song Scars in Heaven by Casting Crowns. So much truth in the words. I pray that it ministers to all of you as it has ministered to me.
Sending our sincere condolences. May you find comfort in your memories and strength in your faith.
God called him home. Peace be with you in memory of this Veteran.
Susan
To Sue and the rest of Bill’s family,
We are sorry for your loss. Bill touched so many lives over the course of his lifetime on earth. We will remember his quick smile and sparkling eyes. His pride in being a Marine. His love for his country and for the freedoms and rights we have in our Constitutional Republic. His will to defend our country at any cost. His love for God, and his service for Him. His relationship with Jesus Christ and his devotion to growing closer to Him and becoming more like Him. His deep love for his family. His sense of humor. His desire for people to know Jesus Christ personally and to put Him first in their lives. His love for his fellow veterans and his concern for their well-being. His readiness to help people. The way his eyes lit up when it had been awhile since we’d seen him, and the genuine, warm greeting that followed. The way we could sit down and pick up right where we left off, no matter how long it had been since we’d seen him. His genuine interest in others. His earnest prayers. His kindness and thoughtfulness. His remarkable handling of physical afflictions, set backs, and disappointments. His generous heart and considerate way of interacting with others. His appreciation for what others did for him, no matter how small. His way of making one feel welcome and comfortable in his presence. He is missed, and will continue to be. It’s amazing how much our lives affect one another. Bill’s integrity of character, his example as a believer in Jesus Christ, and the wholesome values by which he lived affected not only you, his family, but those of us who had the privilege of knowing him.
We are praying for you. May you sense the nearness of God and find comfort in His presence as you grieve.
Our love to you, and prayers for you,
Eric & Maureen Longnecker
My deepest condolences to the family of this great man. I have been a friend of the Cerame family for about 50 years now and have known Bill almost that long. Although we haven’t seen each other much over the years, when we did see each other (last at Brianna’s wedding) it was like no time had passed. Bill always had a big heart and incredible integrity. That and his warm smile are what I will carry through my life. Much love and sympathy to the whole family.
Lou Blanda