William A. Devine

When William A. Devine walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who William was and how he impacted those around him. William was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if William wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. William was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

William was born on July 20, 1962 at Kensington Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He was the son of Bill and Trudy Devine. William was raised in Philadelphia, PA. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew William might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that William was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

William was raised with one sibling. He had an older sister name Cindy. William was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, William was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served William well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, William was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. William was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. William took part in baseball and hockey. He was a boy scout. In his spare time he liked toy cars and getting in trouble. William's memorable achievements included. William had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, William responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Cardinal Dougherty in did not graduate. William was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. William absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For William, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered William a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was Physical Education. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Miss Stanton. He made te baseball team.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, William was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, William was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Joey Bailey, Carman, Ray Deweeze, Joey Osborne and Jimmy Osborne. Later in life, he became friends with Brian Hickey, Rob Mack, Gilbert Harris, David Hadler.

On May 2, 1982 William married Donna Ann Magan at the front yard of their home. Of Pompano Beach, FL. William's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Donna's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. William was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

William was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For William, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Devine home. William's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. William was blessed with three children: three sons. Derek, Nicholas and Jesse. They were also blessed with two grandchildren, Jayden and Aundre.

William was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was an Autobody Specialist. William was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. William had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. William's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because William loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were fishing, softball, coaching his kids, singing and dancing. William had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, William's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

William derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, William played baseball. Recreational sports included softball and basketball. William was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, basketball and baseball.

Throughout his life, William was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, William seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with William usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In high school, William was a member of the baseball team. Throughout his later years, William was an active member of theNorth Pompano Baseball Little League.

William was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Tango, a mixed breed mutt., was a best friend for 15 years. His family was rounded out by his cat Pepper.

William Devine passed away on February 22, 2014 at In his home on Pahokee, FL. He died of natural cause. He is survived by his mother Trudy Devine; his wife Donna Devine, his three sons Derek, Nicholas and Jesse; his sister Cindy; his grandchildren Jayden and Aundre. Services were held at Kraeer Funeral Home. William was cremated and brought home to be with his family and his father whom was also cremated.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to William. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to William Devine for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. William was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.