William R Reardon

Bill Reardon was born on December 27, 1920 and passed away following a valiant struggle with lung cancer on October 14, 2010, at the age of 89, in Lynnwood, WA. The oldest child of Dennis and Kathryn Reardon, he was born and raised in Worcester, MA along with his six siblings.

In December of 1941 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving until his Honorable Discharge in October, 1945. While on leave in 1943, he married his beautiful "Peg" Margaret Terry. Their union would last 64 years until her passing in 2007. They had three children, Dennis (Mary), William (Sue), and Donna DeFrancesco (Richard); eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

A brilliant scholar, Bill returned to school following the war, ultimately receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1953. Wonderful years of teaching Dramatic Arts at the graduate level followed, in Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, and California where he retired from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He was a renowned professor, a national authority on American Theatre, and a leading promoter of minority participation in the theatre arts. He also was a published novelist and playwright. His final book, The Quaker Rose, was published in 2001 when he was 81 years old.

Dad loved life, people, books, and his beloved pug, Josie. His kind and generous nature will be sorely missed by all.

The funeral Mass celebrating Bill's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 18, 2010 at St. Thomas More Parish Chapel, 6511 176th St. SW, in Lynnwood, WA.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association.Arrangements under the direction of Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills, Lynnwood, WA.