William Robert Fletcher

Bill was born in Cambridge Vermont, the only son of Robert W. Fletcher and Betty (Cox) Fletcher. He was a handsome, smart, strong redhead with beautiful blue eyes and smile until the end. Although raised on a dairy farm, he said the happiest day of his life was when his father sold the milking cows! He was not meant to be a Dairy farmer but a 'horseman' he was Always an entrepreneur, he and his father soon started a penicillin farm collecting urine from pregnant mares. There was always a team of horses to work the maple sugar operation as well as to tend the fields. These same beautiful Belgian Draught horses weighed around 2000 lbs. and could pull 8000 lbs! And they were trained to compete in pulling competitions when at the age of 14 'Billy' Fletcher was named a "Horseman's Horseman" winning competition after competition. He was also an excellent outdoorsman bagging an 8 point buck at the age of 11. And trout fishing the brooks of VT was a favorite pastime always. He graduated from Enosburg Falls HS where he played baseball, soccer and basketball. Anxious to hit the road he graduated from the Mid South Academy of Horseshoeing in Memphis, TN as a Farrier – he was so good that he even shoed horses for Elvis Presley! He traveled throughout NE, NY and Canada to the Midwest buying, breaking and selling horses and successfully competing in competitions. He could always sell anything to anyone!
Bill is survived by the 'love of his life', Deb (Deborah Greenwood) who was by his side to the very end; daughter Kelly, grand-daughter Audrey Barnier and her partner Jarod Bigelow, brother-in-law Rocky Greenwood, special niece Carla Lafar and her family especially 7 yr. old Zander who visited Uncle Bill every day while here in July Several nieces, nephews and uncles and so many special friends, classmates, golfing and boxing buddies - too numerous to name.
He and Deb were together 40 years and owned and operated Fletcher & Associates, Ltd. – a very successful Wholesale Petroleum Distribution Company as well as a trucking company, DebKo Inc. both of which they started. Unable to travel owning two businesses they found Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club in Vero Beach FL in 1988 and closed on their first home there in 1991. When the opportunity to sell these businesses appeared they enjoyed an early retirement living as snow birds until they sold their VT home. They loved to travel cruising the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, the Alaskan Passageway, and the Mississippi River or hiking the Green Mountains in VT, the White Mountains in NH, the NC Mountains and the Red Rocks in Utah. They even zip-lined over the Rain Forest in Costa Rica and white water rafted the Savage River in Mexico. Both were always competitive in sports and Bill took up tennis for Deb and she became a golfer for him. Together they won many tournaments and championships – in VT and FL. Deb bested Bill in number of Hole-in-ones but he was infamous for his Albatross (Double Eagle) on the River Course's 3rd hole – a 533 yard par 5 – Driver, 3 wood! They traveled throughout the UK, France & Italy; the Dominican Republic, Mexico Puerto Rico and the United States and Canada from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island – golfing all the way! Bill's favorite was always Bandon Dunes in Oregon. He loved the NY Yankees, the Dallas Cowboys, the Saratoga Race Track, and the Driving Range where he spent countless hours with his friends!
Always generous, he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity building homes as well as GH Audubon constructing bird houses, trellis' and working in the Nature Garden after a little coercion from Deb. He was an Equity Full Member of Grand Harbor, a member of the Elks Club in St. Albans VT and past member of the Champlain Country Club where he was instrumental in installing an irrigation system, Enosburg Falls CC and Bakersfield CC. also in VT leaving many friends in each location. He is a member of GH's Community Outreach, GH's Audubon and Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital's Eagle Society and the Pyramid Legacy Society.
Bill left us way too young after an amazing fight to live against Lewy Body Dementia, a terribly progressive neurological disease without a cure. His brain has been donated to the University of FL in Gainesville having previously volunteered along with his wife in numerous research studies. SO many to thank for their love and support these last years since diagnosis from the many GH friends and special neighbors Maureen and Rick, to Ron and those who renamed his Blue Tee Golf Group "Fletcher's Fighters" to Ken and the GH Cup making him their 'honorary starter' to Macy and Gus and his 'Rock Steady' boxing friends and the First Presbyterian Church. And when Deb could no longer take care of him at home the last year the wonderful 'family' at Certus Memory Care Facility and his many visitors especially Tom Lauda and Bill & Lane Workman who visited regularly 'with snacks' until the very end; the Emergency Department for multiple trips there, and lastly the VNA Hospice team
There will be a Memorial Service at First Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach on Wednesday, August 21st from 3-4pm and a 'Celebration of Life' at Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club at the Club House from 4-6pm. No flowers please but one might consider a donation in his memory to the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease at the University of FL in Gainesville where his brain was donated; or locally to GH's Audubon, the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital's Foundation, First Presbyterian Church, or, a native plant for the Nature Garden!
Deb learned that you're never ready to say goodbye RIP until we meet again my love Your friends are convinced that you're teeing it up in heaven with those that went ahead of you!...