William M. "Bill" Ghio

1954 - 2023

William "Bill" M. Ghio, 69, of Bristol, CT, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, July 23, 2023, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Bill was born in Bristol, CT, on January 18, 1954, devoted son of the late Frederick and Maureen (McDonald) Ghio. He was the loving husband of Janet (Gibb) Ghio and the proud father of his three sons. Family meant the world to him; being a husband and father were the greatest roles of his life. Bill lived his entire life in Bristol. After graduating from St. Paul Catholic High School he attended Providence College and later received his MBA from the University of New Haven. Following graduation, Bill spent the next 15 years working for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health at Fairfield Hills Hospital. While working for the State, Bill was presented with an opportunity from Dunkin' Donuts to become a business owner. Without hesitation, Bill attended Dunkin' Donuts University and in 1990 opened his first store on Pine Street in Bristol. Over the course of 33 years, Bill successfully expanded his family franchise business, owning and operating multiple stores. Even while sick, Bill showed continued dedication to the business, just three weeks ago he opened a new store in Forestville. He cherished working with his sons. Bill loved participating in and watching competitive sports. He could be found sitting court-side for all of the UCONN Men's basketball games. In recent years, he was passionate about helping Coach Calhoun at the University of Saint Joseph. Bill was a proud marathon runner and member of the "Run 169 Towns Society." In 2017 he completed the challenge of running an official race in all of the 169 towns in Connecticut. Bill grew up spending summers with his parents and siblings at Black Point Beach Club in Niantic, CT. After starting a family of his own, Bill made Black Point his second home. Bill's happy place was Disney World where he vacationed with his family several times each year, he loved being a Disney Vacation Club Member. Bill was thankful for his lifelong childhood friends and always looked forward to dinner with the Max 4 gang. He had an unmatched love and compassion for animals and rescued many dogs during his lifetime. Bill cared deeply about philanthropy and helped several people and organizations. He was honored in June of 2023 at the 37th Annual Franciscan Sports Banquet where he received the "Jim Calhoun Community Service Award" for the profound impact he had on his community. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, sons William (Billy) Ghio Jr., Rory Ghio and his fiancé Ashley, and Drew Ghio and his fiancé Elizabeth; his siblings, Frederick Ghio, Susanbeth (Ghio) DeRemer, and Kathleen (Ghio) Markert; several nieces and nephews; a grandchild on the way; and his three dogs (Lily, Summer, and Dash). Calling hours will be held on Sunday, July 30, 2023 from 3PM until 6PM at O'Brien Funeral Home, 24 Lincoln Ave., Bristol. Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 31, 2023, starting at 9:30 AM from O'Brien Funeral Home to St. Anthony Church, 111 School St., Bristol for a 10:30 AM Mass of Christian Burial. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his honor to the Animal Rescue Foundation CT, located in Terryville: www.arfct.org. To leave an online message of condolence, share a memory or a photo, please visit Bill's tribute page at www.OBrien-FuneralHome.com