William F. Macauley

William F. Macauley, of Concord, Massachusetts, died peacefully on November 22, 2025, leaving a legacy of adventure, a love of nature and learning, and devotion to family and community.
Bill was born in Boston and raised in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston. He was the son of the late Mary Macauley and the brother of the late Bernard Macauley and Mary Lou Meighan.
Bill was an unlikely success, yet his determination and resilience were evident early. At just 10, he and his brother Bernie collected bottles for change to help support the family. By 14, he had a job at Top Hat, a tuxedo rental shop in Dorchester. There, a mentor encouraged him to read widely, believe in himself, and imagine a life beyond his neighborhood. These habits stayed with him and nurtured his knack for recalling the right quote at the right moment.
After earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and law degree from Boston University in 1969, Bill joined Craig and Craig in the early 1970s. By the mid-1970s, the firm became Craig and Macauley and was known as a premier boutique law practice specializing in banking, creditors' rights, commercial litigation, and financial restructuring. Bill was respected for his integrity and admired as both a trusted adviser and a formidable opponent.
Bill's dedication to education was reflected in his service on the Boston University Board of Trustees, where he sat on the executive committee and served as President of the University's Alumni Association before being named Trustee Emeritus. The University recognized his contributions with the School of Law's Silver Shingle Award and its Distinguished Alumni Award, one of its highest honors. To support future generations, he established the Macauley Scholarship Fund, helping others access the opportunities that shaped his own life. Bill also spent many years on the board of the YMCA of Greater Boston.
His love of the outdoors never waned, nor did his fondness for birds, the more obscure the better. Bill's travels took him to over 40 countries, often deep into rainforests or remote corners of the world, riding in the back of a truck or the front seat of a very small plane. Whether rafting through hippo-filled rivers, climbing a lookout tower, or getting lost beyond the bounds of a game reserve, he embraced adventure.
Nothing mattered more to Bill than his family. He shared 57 years with his beloved wife, Sheila. He was a devoted dad to Jennifer Macauley Anderson (James Anderson), Douglas Macauley (Rebecca Nidositko), Leiha Macauley (James Palumbo), and Brian Macauley (Lisa Siemaszko), and a proud ice cream-serving, french fry-stealing, chess-playing grandfather to Eliza, Dylan, Billy, Charlotte, Owen, Georgia, Nelle, Harrison and Harper. His legacy lives on in his family and in all those whose lives were touched by his advocacy, generosity, and sense of adventure.
Private burial services were held at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord. A celebration of Bill's life will be planned for the spring of 2026.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes gifts to the Peter H. Stone, MD Laboratory Fund (checks payable to Brigham and Women's Hospital, 263 Huntington Ave., #318, Boston, MA 02115-4506, memo: "I.M.O. William F. Macauley/Peter H. Stone Lab," or online: http://events.brighamandwomens.org/goto/WFM) or to the Macauley Scholarship Fund (checks payable to Boston University, BU Gifts, JPM Chase, P.O. Box 22605, NY, NY 10087-2605 or online: https://www.bu.edu/give).
Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.