Occupation: I'm retired, of course. I worked in the envelope manufacturing business for 38 years. Century Envelope was the first one, in Brooklyn. Then Kimberly Clark took over. I was an instructor and taught many, many people. They all respected m
Occupation: Iâm retired, of course. I worked in the envelope manufacturing business for 38 years. Century Envelope was the first one, in Brooklyn. Then Kimberly Clark took over. I was an instructor and taught many, many people. They all respected me, and called me âMr Bill.â When the company moved out to Ohio, I had the chance to stay and teach 16 men for a year. All of them got jobs in the envelope industry. Then I went on to work for different companies. Iâm a World War II veteran. I was drafted in 1943, and went to basic training at Shepherdâs Field in Texas. Then a group of us was transferred to Reading, Penn.. Army Air Force Base. My whole career in the service was in commissary. I served in the Pacific on Tinian Island, about three miles from Saipan.
Family: Iâm married to Anne, and she has three daughters, Linda, Joyce, and Veronica. I had a son, Richard, who has passed away. Lucille is my daughter. She lives in Old Lyme, Conn. They are both children with my first wife, Germaine. She passed away in 1980. Anneâs husband died in 1977. We were living on the same street in Jamaica, Queens, and we got together after Gerry passed. Anne and I got married February 1, 1986. On February 2, we packed up and moved to Pennsylvania.
How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here on June 22, 2007. Linda lives in Southbury, and she wanted us nearby.
What do you like to do in your free time? I am a life member of American Legion Post 851 in Pennsylvania. I was vice commander and membership chairman, while living there. I was the âbingo manâ when we first moved to Nunnawauk Meadows, calling numbers. They found out I used to call bingo with the American Legion and asked me to do it, so I did, for a couple of years. I like to watch television, and I read the newspaper occasionally.
Do you have a favorite television show? I like Everybody Loves Raymond, and reruns of Bonanza and Gunsmoke.
Do you have a favorite sports team? Iâm a die-hard Mets fan, even though theyâre not doing so good right now.
Do you have a favorite vacation destination? In Pennsylvania, we belonged to the Senior Citizens Club. We went all over. We liked Virginia Beach. Itâs a great vacation resort, and it was fun, going with the group.
What is the best thing about Newtown? It has beautiful homes, and everyone keeps their property immaculate. Itâs a pretty town.
What did you like best about living in Brooklyn? There were lots of places of entertainment, like Madison Square Garden. We used to watch rodeos there. There was always something going on in the City, thatâs for sure.
What makes you happiest? What makes me happiest, is that Iâm going to hit my 93rd birthday in September. Thatâs what Iâm hoping for, God willing!
What is your earliest memory? As a little boy in Massachusetts, I remember jumping off of a dog house and landing on a piece of wire that went into my foot. I remember walking to school, by myself. It seemed far. It was maybe two miles, give or take. I graduated ninth term in 1936 from PS 73 in Queens, and went to an aviation school in New York for a year and a half. I left to support my family, around 1937 or 1938.
Do you have a personal philosophy? Good health, and try to be a good person. I like to be treated as I treat other people.