1931
William
2016
William Blaney
June 25, 1931 — April 28, 2016
In his 84 years of life, William L. Blaney, of Hanover Park, never met a stranger. Bill left his earthly body to join Jesus on Thursday, April 28, 2016. At the time of his passing, Bill was at home surrounded by loved ones.
Bill was born on June 25, 1931 in Chicago to Mary F. (Fran) and William L. (Lawrence) Blaney.
As a proud member of the International Association of Machinists, Bill was an aircraft mechanic for Trans World Airlines (TWA) for 35 years (perhaps you’ve seen his cameo in North by Northwest as he makes his way across the runway). He was also a volunteer Firefighter in the 1960s for the village of Hanover Park. Bill was an avid Civil War aficionado, and after his retirement, he visited all of the major battlefields with his wife, Marge. Bill’s love of Civil War history was also fulfilled by participating in Civil War reenactments in the Pennsylvania area with his son, William L. Blaney III, and his grandson, William L. Blaney IV.
Bill lived an interesting and adventurous life, including his “high school gap years,” when he sailed around the world on oil tankers, before returning home and completing his education at CVS High School. After graduating from high school, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy on his 19th birthday, and was active during the Korean Conflict. After an Honorable discharge from the Navy, he met the love of his life, Margaret D. (Bisone) Blaney, who had blossomed into a beautiful woman while Bill was at sea, and was no longer the “kid sister” of his friend, Marge’s brother, Ed.
Bill and Marge were engaged for 14 months and married on June 2, 1956. They remained blissfully married and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary this year.
Bill and Marge were blessed with four children, William L. III (Susan), Robert L. (Tamara), Margaret R. (Kurt) Larocco, and Mary F. (Pete) Baechle. Bill’s grandchildren, who adored their Grandpa, are Peter and William IV Blaney, Ilya Startsev, and Nicholas and Kathryn Larocco, along with his furry four-legged grandchildren. Bill also enjoyed the love of six great-grandchildren, Leyton, William V (Liam), Gabriel, Serenity, Brianna, and Abrilla. Bill was also beloved by his two dear sisters, Patricia McDow and Mary F. (Fran) Fister, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Our husband/father/grandfather/great-grandfather/uncle will be missed for his wicked sense of humor and his bad jokes. Using his love of poetry, he taught us life’s important rules, including this ditty: “If you’re doing what you oughter, you’ll add acid to the water. If it’s water to the acid, may your sleep be long and placid.” Dad also had a great love for gardening, at one time growing 250 roses in his back yard.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Fran, his in-laws, Edward and Laura E. Bisone, his brothers- in-law Steve Fister and Jim McDow, his sister-in-law, Susan Bisone, and his sister, Margaret Eileen.
The visitation for Bill will be Monday, May 2 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Countryside Funeral Home in Bartlett, IL. On Tuesday, May 3, prayers will be said for Bill at Countryside Funeral Home, followed by a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Peter Damien Catholic Church in Bartlett, IL.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ferryville Volunteer Fire Department at P.O. Box 236 Ferryville, Wi 54628, are appreciated. Please mark “In Memory of Bill Blaney”. Note: This organization is a non-profit and eligible for company match programs FEIN # 39-1104158
Bill was born on June 25, 1931 in Chicago to Mary F. (Fran) and William L. (Lawrence) Blaney.
As a proud member of the International Association of Machinists, Bill was an aircraft mechanic for Trans World Airlines (TWA) for 35 years (perhaps you’ve seen his cameo in North by Northwest as he makes his way across the runway). He was also a volunteer Firefighter in the 1960s for the village of Hanover Park. Bill was an avid Civil War aficionado, and after his retirement, he visited all of the major battlefields with his wife, Marge. Bill’s love of Civil War history was also fulfilled by participating in Civil War reenactments in the Pennsylvania area with his son, William L. Blaney III, and his grandson, William L. Blaney IV.
Bill lived an interesting and adventurous life, including his “high school gap years,” when he sailed around the world on oil tankers, before returning home and completing his education at CVS High School. After graduating from high school, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy on his 19th birthday, and was active during the Korean Conflict. After an Honorable discharge from the Navy, he met the love of his life, Margaret D. (Bisone) Blaney, who had blossomed into a beautiful woman while Bill was at sea, and was no longer the “kid sister” of his friend, Marge’s brother, Ed.
Bill and Marge were engaged for 14 months and married on June 2, 1956. They remained blissfully married and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary this year.
Bill and Marge were blessed with four children, William L. III (Susan), Robert L. (Tamara), Margaret R. (Kurt) Larocco, and Mary F. (Pete) Baechle. Bill’s grandchildren, who adored their Grandpa, are Peter and William IV Blaney, Ilya Startsev, and Nicholas and Kathryn Larocco, along with his furry four-legged grandchildren. Bill also enjoyed the love of six great-grandchildren, Leyton, William V (Liam), Gabriel, Serenity, Brianna, and Abrilla. Bill was also beloved by his two dear sisters, Patricia McDow and Mary F. (Fran) Fister, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Our husband/father/grandfather/great-grandfather/uncle will be missed for his wicked sense of humor and his bad jokes. Using his love of poetry, he taught us life’s important rules, including this ditty: “If you’re doing what you oughter, you’ll add acid to the water. If it’s water to the acid, may your sleep be long and placid.” Dad also had a great love for gardening, at one time growing 250 roses in his back yard.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Fran, his in-laws, Edward and Laura E. Bisone, his brothers- in-law Steve Fister and Jim McDow, his sister-in-law, Susan Bisone, and his sister, Margaret Eileen.
The visitation for Bill will be Monday, May 2 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Countryside Funeral Home in Bartlett, IL. On Tuesday, May 3, prayers will be said for Bill at Countryside Funeral Home, followed by a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Peter Damien Catholic Church in Bartlett, IL.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ferryville Volunteer Fire Department at P.O. Box 236 Ferryville, Wi 54628, are appreciated. Please mark “In Memory of Bill Blaney”. Note: This organization is a non-profit and eligible for company match programs FEIN # 39-1104158
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William Blaney, please visit our flower store.
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