William J. Shirreff

William J. Shirreff was born on February 13, 1948 to Madeline and William F Shirreff. He was the brother of Gail RIley of Wakefield MA, and uncle of her children Michael F. Riley Jr. who resides in Waldoboro, ME and Michele Sorabella who resides in Reading, MA.

Bill grew up in the Greenwood section of Wakefield, MA and graduated from Wakefield High School where he was known as "oiler." He was a member of the CYO and the "Greenwood Geeks." He went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Merrimack College and a Masters Degree in Business from Northeastern University.

After college Bill headed west to California and spent a happy year as a member of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Club. He eventually came back to the East coast where he had a successful career as a civil engineer for over 30 years- first as an employee at Universal and later as an independent contractor for WJS Engineering. He also enjoyed selling real estate and managing his private stock holdings.

Bill was known as a skilled dancer. He also loved swimming and most vacations centered around being able to swim whether it be the oceans of Provincetown MA, the Barrier FIre Island in NY, or the beaches of Hawaii. Most recently, he enjoyed the beautiful views of the intercoastal from his apartment balcony in Ft Lauderdale, FL. He could often be found working out and swimming laps in the apartment complexes' pool.

When Bill wasn't skiing or swimming, he was driving. He loved road trips and took many over the years. One of his favorites included the drive from MA to FL which included a stop at Niagara Falls, a meandering path through the Smoky Mountains, and a visit to Myrtle Beach.

Bill chose to leave this earth June 13th, 2020. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill's memory to the Cure Alzheimer's FUND, information to be found at www.curealz.org. A celebration of life is to be held in MA at a place and date to be determined. Please contact Bills' nephew Michael at miker.unclebill@gmail.com for further information.