William Franklin Pollock

William F. Pollock (Bill), 80, of West Chester, PA passed away peacefully on September 23rd at his home. He was the son of Dorothy Diffenderfer and William Irwin Pollock. He was the brother of Michael Pollock, husband of Nancy L. Pollock, father of Brian Pollock and Stephanie McSwain, and beloved PopPop of Connor (27), Meeghan (25), Brady (24), Nancy (22), Kaylee (23), Billy (19), and Will (18).

Originally from Downingtown, PA, Bill was a three-sport varsity athlete in football, basketball, and track at Downingtown High School. In 1962, he won the state championship in the 180 yard low hurdles, but his favorite event was the 440 four man relay, where he ran anchor with his friends Pops Flowers, Beanie Williams, and Jim Bob Price.

In 1963, he graduated as valedictorian of Downingtown High School and went on to pursue a degree in physics at Dartmouth College. During the summer of 1965, he met Nancy Leaman at Pepperidge Farm in Downingtown, where they both had summer jobs. After graduating summa cum laude from Dartmouth, he married Nancy Leaman in 1968, which he has said repeatedly was the best decision he ever made in his life!

From 1969 to 1972, he served in the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Vietnam as a field artillery officer/forward observer. Although he did not speak of his time in Vietnam very often, he served with valor and was awarded the National Defense medal, Vietnam Service medal, Combat Action ribbon, and Vietnam Campaign medal. His son, Brian, son-in-law Bill McSwain, and brother Mike, also served as officers in the USMC. During his time in the Marine Corps, Bill and Nancy had two children together – Stephanie and Brian.

In 1972, Bill transitioned to civilian life and supporting and caring for his family of four. He decided the business world would always need accountants, so he began a career in finance as an accountant, while raising his children with Nancy in West Chester. One of his earliest jobs was as Corporate Controller at Lenape Forge, and he later went to work for the Bachman Company, commuting to Reading, PA every day, and rose to the level of Vice President of Finance.

Bill enjoyed spending time with his family, whether it was going to Penn State football games, vacationing at the Jersey Shore, or attending various sporting events for his children and grandchildren. He had a great love for, and a special bond with his younger brother, Mike, and they enjoyed meeting regularly for breakfast to talk about life and make each other laugh. He made lasting friendships at Dartmouth with the late Nate Smith, Alan Jeffery, John Eastman and Ron London, and enjoyed spending time and going on trips with them and their spouses throughout the years.

Bill was an avid runner for much of his life and always a voracious reader. He enjoyed learning and talking about a wide variety of topics – some of his favorites were related to his love of science and physics, such as evolution, dinosaurs, and outer space, as well as genealogy and religion.

When he retired in 2001, he helped raise his grandchildren, taking them on countless trips to various parks, Burger King, and sporting events. He loved all of his dogs, especially Amber, and they adored him. He was an active member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Exton. He taught Sunday School to young children and volunteered as the church accountant for over 20 years. In his later years, Bill kept physically active, walking 2-3 miles a day. He had a deep faith, loved his family with all his heart, and remained a proud American throughout his life.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 4th at St Paul's Episcopal Church, 1105 East Lincoln Highway, Exton, PA:

10-10:45 am Visitation

11 am Celebration of Life

12 noon Committal

Luncheon immediately to follow at St. Paul's in Getman Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill's name to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.