William Paul Jaros

William was born in Brooklyn, NY on November 2, 1945, just after the war, to Henry ("Jerry") and Thais Jaros. His father had been a U.S. Army Sergeant in North Africa under General Patton, where he lost his leg to a landmine in the Battle of El Guettar; he met his future wife Thais while recovering from his injury in the Walter Reed hospital back in the States. William would grow up in Manhattan and Levittown, where he attended Chaminade and Division Avenue High Schools before being drafted into the Vietnam War, where he was stationed as part of the U.S. Air Force mostly in Thailand as the head of a weapons load crew on the Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base. He was honorably discharged from the service at the rank of Staff Sergeant.

He received a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Adelphi University, where he was a member of its first fraternity Omicron Pi, and a Master's Degree in Real Estate Finance from New York University. He was a nightclub manager, luxury realtor, contractor and painter, and ultimately the head of facilities for The Riese Organization, managing over one million square feet of commercial real estate in New York City and building many of the iconic franchise restaurant locations in the old Penn Station and Manhattan. He achieved his commercial pilot's license and was an avid hiker, skier, horseback rider, surfer, and book and stamp collector. He was also a Cubmaster of Pack 381 of Holy Family Parish in Hicksville, where he has lived since 1985, and a long standing member of American Legion Charles Wagner Post 421.

William passed away at age 79 on March 5, 2025, Ash Wednesday, after a long series of medical issues. Among his last words were "I see Jesus in the room."

He is survived by his loving wife of over 43 years, Marie née Brancato, his sister, Jayne, and his three sons, William, Christopher, and Alexander. He is now with his parents, grandmother, and his best friends, David Szczesny, Thomas White, and Dennis Green.

He will be remembered as an extremely generous and dedicated father. He was precise, headstrong, and irreplaceable.

A visitation for William will be held Sunday, March 9, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Vernon C. Wagner Funeral Homes, 125 W Old Country Road, Hicksville, NY 11801. A visitation will occur Sunday, March 9, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, 125 W Old Country Road, Hicksville, NY 11801. A mass of christian burial will occur Tuesday, March 11, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish, 129 S Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801. An interment will occur Tuesday, March 11, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM at St. Charles / Resurrection Cemeteries, 2015 Wellwood Ave, Farmingdale, NY 11735.