William Thompson

April 10, 1927 – October 10, 2017

William, known as Billy and later as Bill, was born April 10, 1927 in Laconia, NH, the second child of two born to Mable and Archie Thompson of Somerville, MA, which is part of the metropolitan Boston area.

Billy grew up as a Somerville city boy, who spent each summer with his mother’s parents and relatives in Laconia and Rochester, NH. His brother James was almost three years older than him, and they tended to go in different directions. But on Sunday mornings Jimmy and Billy walked together over to the local Baptist Church at the direction of their parents; however, sometimes rather than church they chose instead to take a joy ride on the trolley car to Boston and return. Bill was educated in the Somerville schools; instead of high school he was sent to Trade School and wanted to learn to be an electrician, but he became discouraged when that did not work out, and upon reaching 18 years of age joined the US Coast Guard (USCG) in 1945, and was assigned to Hawaii as a personnel clerk, because he had typing skills, having attended Radio Operator’s School after basic training. It was while in the USCG that he learned of Dorothy Martin, a high school age girl who wrote a letter to soldiers and sailors during the war that Bill came upon. Bill answered that letter, and it resulted in a long distance romance that would change his life.

After WW2, both Bill and Jim converted to Catholicism at Laconia, NH and shortly thereafter married Catholic girls. On April 17, 1948, Bill, a USCG WW2 veteran, married Dorothy Martin in Hudson, PA. Dorothy was truly the love of his life. During their sixty-six years of marriage Bill and Dorothy, endured the death of their first born son Roger within days of his birth, but went on to raise four beautiful children and enjoyed many grand and great grandchildren.
From 1948 until 1952, Bill and Dorothy lived in Laconia, NH where Bill worked as a new construction lineman for the telephone company. In 1952 they relocated to Somerville, MA where they bought their first house, and Bill worked for a few years in appliance repair and then production of plastic foam products. Beginning In the early 1960s, he worked at Apahouser, Inc. in Boston MA while earning his Associate’s and Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering, respectively at Northeastern University. While living in Somerville, the family attended St. Clement’s Church where Bill worked with the Boy Scouts, served as an usher, and was active with the Society of St. Vincent DePaul. With assistance from the Pastor at St. Clement’s, Bill and Dorothy successfully took on the challenges of the adoption process so that they could adopt a beautiful little girl from Korea. In the mid-1960s the family relocated to Medfield, MA, and soon after he worked as an engineer for Colorspan Plastic Fabrication in Norwood, MA, and later for Insulfab Corporation at two MA locations, Watertown and Millbury, where he specialized in plastic acrylic thermoforming and design and fabrication of hockey rink dasher boards with acrylic safety screening for ice skating rinks used by NHL Teams and others. In 1978 at age 51, he retired with Dorothy to Concord, NH, where he worked as a school bus driver, and she worked as a school bus nurse attendant on a part time basis.

Bill and Dorothy relocated to Englewood, FL, in 1994 where they resided in Polynesian Village retirement community. During their years in Englewood, Bill and Dorothy thoroughly enjoyed helping people in the community, dancing at the Elk’s, playing Bingo, attending weekly coffee and other special occasions at the Polynesian Village clubhouse, visiting with family and friends, taking a trip to Europe, a 50th wedding anniversary /family reunion in NC, a 60th wedding anniversary/family reunion in WV, and weekly celebration of Mass at St. Raphael’s. While living in Englewood Bill also enjoyed teaching Driver Safety Classes for AARP members throughout the area. When Dorothy passed in November 2014, Bill continued to live at Polynesian Village, but did partake in several extended stays with family in Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

Bill endured many health challenges over the last few years, including Alzheimer’s Disease. He loved to play Cribbage and Dominoes and was able to do so until just shortly before his passing

The Memorial Garden at St. Raphael Catholic Church is located north of the pond behind the Parish Center. Established in February, 1993, the garden is a private area suitable for mediation and devotion. It is designed as a living rosary of plants with a topiary cross surrounded by a crushed shell path.