William C. Lapham

William C. Lapham

PAWTUCKET - William Bill C. Lapham, 88, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. Born in Pawtucket, he was a lifelong resident of the city, and the son of the late William E. and Hazel J. (Chalk) Lapham.

Bill was a veteran of the U.S. Army who proudly served overseas in Germany. He was the proprietor of the family business, Lapham Nursery, Pawtucket, which was established in 1880 by his grandfather. He worked well into his 80's and retired just recently in 2021. To refer to Bill as a sports fanatic would be an understatement! He traveled the country from arena to arena, including thirty-two World Series games, numerous Super Bowls, Stanley Cup finals and NBA Finals. Whether a spectator or special guest, Bill never passed up a fishing tournament, swim meet, or a trip to New York to watch a boxing match or attend the Boxing Hall of Fame, which he was a card holding member of. He also enjoyed the local sports scene and was a regular at Seekonk Speedway, where he competed in many races, demolition derbies, and was even featured in Speedway Magazine. Bill was a fixture at the former McCoy Stadium of Pawtucket, and of course was in attendance for the longest game in professional baseball history. He had an amazing collection of sports memorabilia including every copy of Ring Magazine since 1920, countless autographs from his travels, NASCAR collectibles and all the fanfare imaginable. Bill enjoyed a cold Bud every Saturday night at his favorite spot, Lucky's Pub to catch the game. His spontaneous nature and love of life will be forever missed by his family and countless friends.

He is survived by two loving daughters, Marianne Mathieu and her husband, Ralph, of Warwick, and Julie Santos and her husband, Paul, of Pawtucket; two stepsons, Guy Beaudette of Texas and Gary Beaudette of Rhode Island; six granddaughters, Victoria, Brittany, Danielle, Mackenzie, Emily and Ava; five great-grandchildren, Kaden, Aviana, Brielle, Benson and Arya; three sisters, Barbara A. O'Donnell of Pawtucket, Ann M. DeAngelis and her husband, Raymond, of Seekonk, MA, and Linda L. Senn and her husband, Karl, of Touisset and several nieces, nephews and dear friends. He was the adoptive father of the late Lisa Hendrick and brother of the late Karen L. Quimper.

His funeral will be held on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. from WILLIAM W. TRIPP Funeral Home, 1008 Newport Ave., Pawtucket, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in St. Teresa Church, 358 Newport Ave., Pawtucket. Interment with his late parents and sister will follow at Mount St. Mary Cemetery, Pawtucket. Calling hours will be held on Monday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741 would be appreciated. Online condolences welcomed at

trippfuneralhome.com