William Lankarge

William Lankarge

South Deerfield, MA - William Paul Lankarge of South Deerfield, MA, left us on July 28, 2025, at the age of 88. Born on July 5, 1937, in Greenfield, MA, Billy was the son of the late Frank and Mary (Kuzdeba)Lankarge.

Brought up in South Deerfield, he was the second eldest of four siblings. He attended Deerfield schools, and graduated from Deerfield High School in 1955. At Deerfield High, Billy was active in the Photography Club, Drama Club, Glee Club, and played Baseball, Basketball, and Football. Along with his brothers, he was an altar boy at Saint Stanislaus Church in South Deerfield. At age 12, his first job was helping the groundskeepers on weekends at the summit of Mount Sugarloaf. He spent Summers working on the local tobacco farms, and began working for Louis Kandsz Produce in Whately. When he got his driver's license at age 16, he would sometimes make three daily round trips delivering produce to the marketplace in Boston.

Billy entered the Army in 1956, and completed basic training at Fort Dix, NJ. He was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany, where he married his wife Helene Dehn in 1959. They returned to Deerfield, and later built a house and settled in Whately in 1963. He began working at Warner Brothers Construction in Sunderland, MA, in 1959, where he was a truck driver, and later parts room manager, until his retirement in 1999.

Billy was active in Whately, serving on the board of assessors, and zoning board, for 12 years. A lifelong member of the Polish American Citizens Club in South Deerfield, he became it's President in the 1990s, serving for 11 years. The annual Christmas and Easter parties for the members' children were an activity that he loved to arrange. He would help shop for all the supplies and gifts, set up the hall, and even played Santa Clause, which he also did for his grandchildren, and neighbors' children. He kept the Club decorated with flowers in the Spring and Summer, and Christmas lights in the Winter. He had a passion for giving back to the community that he grew up in, holding raffles for youth activities and the Frontier High scholarship fund, and contributing to many local organizations.

After retirement, Billy continued to work part time for Crop Production Services, in South Deerfield. He delivered fertilizer to farms throughout Western Mass and beyond. He received great joy from meeting the farmers and their animals, always keeping treats in his truck for their dogs. Retirement gave him the opportunity to take part in his favorite activities, including travel and photography, taking trips to Florida every Winter, where he made many new friends. He traveled to Grand Canyon, Yosemite Park, the California Coast, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and many other places. He was an avid fisherman since childhood, his favorite place was the Deerfield River. His other activities were collecting coins, planting a vegetable garden and flowers every Spring, and watching the birds and hummingbirds at the feeders.

Billy leaves behind his wife Helene, of 66 years; his children Kenneth (Vicki) of Keene, NH; Steven (Rick) of Dania, FL; Michael (Jill) of Conway, MA. He also leaves behind four grandchildren, Matthew, Christina, Ember, and Andrew; several cousins, nieces and nephews, and many friends.

In addition to his parents, Billy was predeceased by his brothers Frank Lankarge (CT) and John Lankarge (MA), and sister Joanne Comisarek (NY).

Calling hours will be on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Wrisley Funeral Home, 90 Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield, MA. Funeral services will be held the following day, Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 11 am at the Wrisley Funeral Home. Interment will take place at the Saint Stanislaus Cemetery in South Deerfield, following the service. A reception at 12:00 Noon at the Polish Club in South Deerfield will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hale-Clapp VFW Post 3295, P.O. Box 357, South Deerfield, MA 01373, or LifePath, Inc, 101 Munson Street, Suite 201, Greenfield, MA 01301.