William F. Poleri

Bill married Carolyn Johnson in 1958, and together they built a life filled with family, creativity, and community. He was the beloved father of Valerie Vitale (Rock); Frank Poleri (Patty); Steven Poleri (Elizabeth); and Linda DeLapp (John). He was also a grandfather to nine grandchildren.

A graduate of Suffolk College, Bill and Carolyn moved to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1962 and over the course of his journalism career, he served as a reporter, a makeup editor, and the arts and entertainment editor. As the make-up editor from 1967 to 1988, he oversaw the daily layout of the paper for publication.

Beyond his professional work, Bill devoted much of his life to community theater. Together with Carolyn, he helped produce plays and became a director in more than 20 productions with Wilbraham Community Theater, Enfield Stage Company, Somers Village Players, Westfield Theater Group, and the Greek Cultural Center in Springfield.

Bill’s contributions to the arts extended far beyond the stage. He served as chairman of the Springfield Arts Lottery Council, co-founded and presided over the Community Theater Association and Readers’ and Playwrights’ Theater, was a board member of the American Community Theater Association, and acted as an adjudicator for regional drama competitions.

After relocating to Moorpark, California in 1988 where they lived for 33 years, Bill and Carolyn continued their lifelong commitment to the arts, joining the newly formed community arts committee. Bill participated in local theater groups and his directing earned him three best-director awards and numerous other honors. Bill also wrote plays, two of which were published in the 2010 anthology Short Plays to Long Remember.

In addition to his work in the theater, Bill enjoyed a successful career as an extra in film, television, and commercials which earned him membership in the Screen Actors Guild. He appeared in films such as Forrest Gump, Get Shorty, Last Action Hero, Chaplin, and Bugsy, among others. He made appearances on numerous television shows, including Friends, Seinfeld, Mad About You, Murphy Brown, and The Wonder Years. He was also featured in several national commercials, including Pizza Hut, the National Basketball Association(NBA), Anheuser-Busch, and The Psychic Friends Network.

Bill will be remembered for his boundless creativity, dedication to community theater, and the love he shared for his family.

A celebration of life will be held on May 30th at Echo Lake 12-5pm in Malvern, PA.