William “Bill” Haid peacefully passed away on May 1, 2021, at the age of 90. He was surrounded by his children who loved him dearly and cherished him throughout his life. He is now reunited with his sweetie, Kathleen, following their 61-year marriage.
“Bill” was born in New York City on February 2, 1931 to William Haid and Elizabeth Montgomery. He had two younger brothers, Michael and Dave, and a younger sister, Mary.
Bill graduated from Xavier High School and attended Fordham University and Manhattan College. He graduated from Manhattan with a Civil Engineering Degree and ultimately became a Professional Engineer (PE). He was the consummate engineer. At 65, once retired, he went to St John’s University and got his MBA for fun. He graduated third in his class.
While in college, Bill enlisted in the army and served as a Lieutenant during the Korean War. He was very happy to have served his country and took great pride in his military service.
When Bill came back from the service, he married the girl from around the corner (Kathleen literally lived around the corner). They moved back to the block they grew up on, ultimately spending over 70 years on the same block in Queens. They knew it well. He adored Kathleen and their love for each other was apparent throughout their lives. They had three children – Billy, Peter and Jeanne.
Bill had a couple of jobs but ultimately landed at the Metropolitan Transit Authority in NYC. The NYC subway system was a massive engineering challenge and the Transit Authority was lucky to have Bill Haid. Bill loved learning about the trains and designing the subway system. It was a perfect fit. He was promoted several times and ultimately, served as the MTA’s Chief Structural Engineer. He was recognized for his work on many occasions and received an award from Ed Koch for his work on the Williamsburg Bridge. He retired from the MTA after 31 years. At his retirement party, hundreds of his colleagues spoke about his knowledge, his patience and his ability to work with others. The door to his office was always open.
In 1996, the American Society of Civil Engineers selected him as the Civil Engineer of the Year. In 1997, Bill was elected President of the Municipal Engineers of the City of New York (MENY).
Bill loved his family dearly. He loved his daughters-in-law, Joanne and Lisa - he was always there for them. He loved and cherished his grandchildren – Luke, Ryan, Cara, Allie and Casey. His grandchildren instinctively knew that he was special. As toddlers, they would all fall asleep quickly in his arms. There was something very comforting about him. He was never critical or judgmental – he brought peace and love to every situation. He loved spending time with everyone in his family and used to start every day by asking “who is coming by today?”
We hope you will come by and say goodbye. The wake will be at Frederick’s Funeral Home at 192-15 Northern Blvd, Flushing NY 11358 on Thursday, May 6th, from 4PM to 8PM. The funeral mass will be on Friday, May 7th, at 11AM at Holy Family – his parish for 80+ years. Holy Family is at 175-20 74th Ave, Flushing NY 11366. Bill will then join Kathleen at St Mary’s Cemetery in Queens.
Visitation will be held on Thursday May 6, 2021 from 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Frederick Funeral Home, 192-15 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY. Funeral Mass will be held on May 7, 2021 at 11:00 am at Holy Family R. C. Church, 175-20 74th Avenue, Flushing, NY. Interment will be held on May 7, 2021 at 12:15 pm at Mount St. Mary Cemetery, 164-15 Booth Memorial Avenue, Fresh Meadows, NY.
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