William R. Coll

William R Coll (Bill), 76, died peacefully on February 19, 2026 at Bedford Falls Assisted Living Facility, Bedford, NH.

Bill was born on June 18, 1949, to Lucien Coll and Rose (Morrier) Coll in Manchester, NH.

He graduated from Bishop Bradley Hight School in 1967 and went straight to work for his father at Coll’s Pharmacy where he worked in Medical Supplies. From here he moved to a career in construction and learned cabinetry and eventually started “The Workshop,” a successful custom cabinet making business in Derry, NH. He eventually became the shop foreman at Kindelan Woodworking in Derry. His final job before retirement was at Lowes Home Improvement in Manchester, NH.

Bill was predeceased by his parents and his youngest son Jeff who passed away in 2012.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, son Jonathan and daughter-in-law Jennifer, brothers Ronald and his wife, Terry as well as Richard and his wife Candice. He also has 2 granddaughters, Makayla LeBlanc and Ava Bailey.

Bill grew up loving antique cars and going to car shows with his father and brothers. All the brothers shared this love with their father, and all had an antique car at one time or another in their lives. He passed this passion down to his children. His motto was “Life’s too short to drive boring cars.”

He loved all things fast, whether a car or motorcycle. Until his heart attack in 1998 he owned a motorcycle and enjoyed riding with friends. His favorite motorcycle was a white 1965 BMW R60.

He also loved the ocean. In his youth he and his family would spend time at Wells Beach, Maine every summer. He and Carolyn would also vacation at Wells Beach up until his declining years. He also loved going to sunny Florida and spending time at the beaches there.

A celebration of Bill's life will be held at Phaneuf Funeral Homes at 243 Hanover St. in Manchester, NH on Friday, March 6 from 3 to 5 pm.

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