September 2, 1930 - December 27, 2018

Bill (aka Dad, Grandpa Mac, Papi),

You left us sooner than we had wanted but in your own thoughtful way. You made sure we were together for our Christmas celebration, and once we were able to say our goodbyes, you died peacefully in your sleep.

You raised a beautiful family and taught us the importance of creating and maintaining close, meaningful relationships with both friends and family. Your presence could light up a room, and your sense of humor gave everyone amazing belly laughs, even toward the end.

You instilled in your children and grandchildren an appreciation for the natural, wild world by spending your time, energy, and resources exposing us through travel and exploration, if even in our own backyard. We will forever thank you for that. Never one to shy away from adventure, you loved hiking, canoeing, swimming, camping, fly fishing, and skiing. You loved building fires and snow forts. You were always a child at heart. Your favorite places on earth were the Canadian woods and the American west, places we will forever be drawn to.

You taught us how to be brave, uncomplaining, and deeply appreciative in the most challenging of circumstances. What a joy it was learning about life from someone who was as passionate about it as you. We will miss you dearly, for you are the best man we have ever known.

With all our love, Carol, Bump, Mary, Liz, Lauren, Will, Bitsy, Leo, and Henry

When you have a moment, please find a beautiful spot somewhere outdoors and take in the nature around you: the sun on your face, the wind through the trees, the stars on a clear night, the small but significant things. And most importantly, hug one another.

A celebration of life will be held in the spring.

Donations can be made to Wayside Waifs or The Wilderness Society in Bill’s memory.