William Richard "Bill" DeGolia

William Richard DeGolia October 25, 1948 – October 1, 2025 William "Bill" Richard DeGolia passed away peacefully on October 1, 2025, surrounded by his family. Born in 1948 and raised in Menlo Park, California, Bill was the middle of three siblings born to Bob and Betty DeGolia. In 1976, Bill met Beth Nichols on a blind date. While Beth wasn't so sure about him at first, Bill knew immediately she was the love of his life. With persistence and patience, he won her over, and the two married on August 30, 1981. Their son Nick was born in 1984 and daughter Hailey in 1987. Over their 44 years together, Bill's devotion to Beth never wavered. Bill built a successful career in furniture sales, representing a range of companies throughout his life. His natural gift for connecting with people made him an exceptional salesman-and an even better friend. He was a born conversationalist who never met a stranger, whether chatting in grocery lines, greeting every dog and its owner on his walks, or lingering long after a gathering had ended. Sales, and people, were truly his superpowers. His passions-skiing, Pinecrest, sailing, cars (especially Italian ones), and family-were all about connection and shared joy. At 12 years old, inspired by the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, Bill discovered a lifelong love for skiing. For more than six decades, he chased "the steep and the deep," with friends, brothers-in-law, niece, nephews, and grandchildren. He taught seven of his nine grandkids to ski "the Geeps way," trading heli-skiing adventures for bunny slopes as he passed on his love for the sport to a new generation. Pinecrest held a special place in Bill's heart. He spent winters skiing and summers biking, hiking, and sailing. The Pinecrest community became an extension of his family-a place for lakeside chats, afternoon sails, and fireside stories with his grandkids after a day of geep rides. Bill's love for cars began before he could drive. His father promised to split the cost of a car if Bill earned half the money by the time he turned 16. Determined, Bill painted fences, mowed lawns, washed cars, and ran a paper route-eventually saving enough for a Porsche. Though his father was reluctant to let a teenager drive a sports car, he couldn't deny Bill's hard work so instead bought him a brand-new VW Bug. Over the years, Bill owned many beautiful cars-Mercedes, Porsche, Genie-but it was Alfa Romeo that captured his heart. As a longtime member and past president of the Alfa Romeo Club, he was admired for his leadership, enthusiasm, and his meticulously restored, award-winning cars. Of all his titles-Alfa Romeo Club President, Skipper, Taz, Billy Boy-the one he cherished most was "Geeps." As Geeps to nine adoring grandchildren, he built keepsake boxes, wooden toys, and lifelong memories. He cheered at games, took them on adventures across the world. Bill's legacy lives on through his beloved wife Beth; his children Nick (Lyssa) and Hailey (Jim); and his grandchildren Clara, Cole, Rory, Brynn, Evie, Luke, Arlo, Jack, and Gemma. Private Services will be held.