William L. Mayer

William L Mayer weighed anchor and left the harbor for the last time on September 26th, ending a ninety-seven year run of frenetic activity that included speed skating, football, sailing in the familiar waters of Narragansett Bay and further afield to Bermuda, Halifax, the Bahamas, and other less exotic places (including Cuttyhunk in near hurricane conditions). In keeping with his love of the sea, he was elected commodore of the Bristol Yacht Club in 1971. A requisite of the office was having a wife who could organize Wednesday night race diners, so he promptly and expediently proposed to Nancy. He ran nine marathons, including Boston, pedaled furiously in countless bike centuries, ski patrolled, played tennis, struggled with golf, and indulged in high intensity lawn care with his old, balky tractor.

Left behind on shore to fondly remember his indomitable spirit, thirst for adventure, and occasional stubbornness are Nancy Mayer, his beloved wife of fifty-four years, his daughter Ellen Mayer and her husband Peter Bullock, his son David Mayer and his wife Charisse Locke Mayer, stepdaughters Judy Leand, Marjorie Leand Foss and her husband Edward Foss, six grandchildren Nellie Fleischner, Sam Fleischner, Albert Mayer, Zachary Mayer, Austin Mayer, and Matison Harrelson and ten great grandchildren.

He also leaves behind a faithful crew of supporters and close friends including Neil Thompson, who could solve almost any problem, and John Arruda, who fixed whatever needed was broken. His assistants Marie Ferreira and Eileen Tavares were close to his heart, and instrumental in creating order out of chaos. Dot Sinnott tried to make his surroundings neat and tidy, with limited success.

Bill was born in Chicago in 1928, the son of Esther and Lazare Mayer. Lazare was a fiercely independent Alsatian who was fifty years old when Bill was born. After graduating from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where he competed in baseball, football, and speed skating, Bill boarded a train in Chicago, got off in Providence, walked up College Hill, and matriculated at Brown University where he was a classics major. This past spring he proudly celebrated his 75th reunion.

He had a varied business career, including a long stint in structural steel fabricating as President of Tower Iron Works, manufacturing industrial fasteners at Gripnail, building a cable television system in Puerto Rico, consulting to several machine tool companies, and lastly importing continuous casting equipment used in the copper and brass industries.

His home base and the place he loved the most was Bristol, Rhode Island, where he attended many a 4th of July parade and watched the glorious fireworks over Bristol Harbor. He also loved Arizona, the peaceful solitude of the desert, the blazing sunsets over red rock, and the riotous colors of cactus in bloom. In Arizona he enjoyed the Mulligans, his nine-hole golf group in which he occasionally won a few dollars in their weekly games, which made him happier than winning the lottery.

When the tide rushes out of Bristol Harbor in the coming days, that will be Bill Mayer saying goodbye and wishing fair weather to all.

Private arrangements are in the care of Sugarman-Sinai Memorial Chapel, Providence. www.sugarmansinai.com