pt 6

I couldn’t end this without mentioning my Grandpa’s love for fishing and his boat, the Tunanut. My grandmother Jean came up with the name for him. She liked it a lot because of the fact that it was a palindrome, which is a word spelled the same forward as well as backwards. My grandpa enjoyed going fishing for Tuna, with his best friend Jimmy, as well as Harry, Hank and many more. He also would take me, my mom and Billy out to catch striped bass. Bill was eager to take anyone out for a ride, or to catch fish, as long as they were ready to kick back, drink some beers, and have fun. 
My Grandpa has lived a lifetime worth of pain, as well as happiness, joy, and success. He lived a lifetime worth of learning, growing and evolving. He remained honest, at times that he wanted to lie. He gloated jokingly - but remained humble when needed. He taught us that it’s okay to laugh at yourself, but important to stand your ground. He was one of a kind- and will truly be missed. We send William Henry Gile off to heaven today with a heavy heart, but also pride as we acknowledge how legendary this man truly was. Semper Fi, Grandpa Gile.

pt 5

Bill eventually became a Grampa to Jeffrey Gile, then Billy Gile, and lastly me. Bill as a grandfather was very similar to how he was as a father. He lived by his generational beliefs, such as men don’t cry and if you DO cry – you’re seeking attention – not healing.  We know today that isn’t necessarily true and I think Grampa also learned that in his later years of life. What was amazing for me, was having the opportunity to witness that realization and psychic change in him. As Bill traveled towards his later years- the more compassionate and understanding he became. He learned and demonstrated that IT IS okay for men to cry. He learned through his son as well as me, that addiction is not a choice, but rather a disease of the mind, that at times can’t be controlled- but you can eventually recover from. Bill learned that you don’t always have to keep your guard up. And that you can provide more than just a dollar sign, to someone you love.

pt 4

August 1st of 1956, Bill and Jean had their first and only son, William David. Grampa’s upbringing in the orphanage as well as his Marine background influenced his parenting style. He left the consoling up to Gram and remained calm yet stern, earning himself the nickname “the interrogator” from his son. Despite the fact that he wasn’t much of a sap, he still was very involved in helping raise his son and provided everything needed and more for his family. He was the type to tell you to “suck it up” if you were crying, but would make sure you had everything you needed. Grampa was also the type, that would treat his friends like family, and if you were a friend of Bills, he would see it through that he helped in any way he could.

pt 3

Bill and Jean got married December 19th in 1953. After the wedding, Bill expressed to Jean that he really wanted to go back to school for Auto Retailing. Jean agreed, and worked in the bank while Bill went to school. After a 2 year course, he graduated from the General Motors Institute. He started working for Tom Johnson Buick Company in Brockton in the sales department, as well as, the service desk. After excelling in the auto business, he eventually opened up his own dealership in Taunton called Bugle Buick. This was the start of the journey, which we all know ended with 2 extremely successful dealerships on the Cape, Puritan Pontiac. He had a location on Willow St as well as High School Rd Ext, where he sold mostly Buicks, Pontiacts, GMCs and Isuzus. Bill was very persuasive and persistent, with an eager desire to make sure every customer that walked in, walked out even happier than before. Prior to opening Puritan, one of his business colleagues tried to talk him out of buying a dealership on the Cape, to which my Grandpa’s response was “there’s a seat for every ass-and there’s an ass for every seat.” At one point, you couldn’t drive anywhere on the Cape without seeing at least 5 cars with that Puritan sticker on the back of their vehicle.

for anyone who wanted a copy of the eulogy: pt 1

Thank you all for coming here today to not only mourn the loss, but celebrate the life of my grandpa, William Henry Gile. The world has lost a charming, funny, honest, and reliable man. However, he did get 92 years of a beautiful life on this earth, and it’s my belief that he would want today to be more about telling his story and highlighting his achievements, rather than have all his loved ones be riddled with pain and grief. Bill loved to be happy and embraced all of life’s moments, good or bad, with a positive attitude. This is a story of a man, who built himself an amazing life out of nothing. Who overcame any and every obstacle thrown his way. Who provided for his family NO MATTER WHAT. Who would give you the shirt off his back, while simultaneously poking fun at you. I find it no coincidence that he was born on April Fool’s Day, because his sarcasm and bold jokes were a staple of his personality, even up until his last days. 
Growing up Grampa had all the odds stacked against him. He was given up for adoption and put in an orphanage. He was moved in and out of foster homes, and was even kicked out of one, and placed back in the orphanage for “eating too much” because he asked for a second piece of bread with his soup. He finally was placed with Daisy Purchase of Brookville, who did make him feel welcomed, however he was still in a foreign environment without knowing who his family was. When he finally met his actual birth mother, he ended up walking out on her and never reached out again because he was upset about how the interaction went. Grampa told me throughout his childhood he was never hugged or told that he was loved. It’s amazing to me that even with his rough upbringing, he still had dreams and goals, and actually carried out a plan to follow them through. The resiliency this man displayed is something to honor and respect, and I hope he knows how proud we are of him.

What a wonderful man Bill Gile was! The Giles were wonderful to my sisters and me when my dad was the general manager at Puritan. He always made me laugh and I will always remember the twinkle in his eye. He gave me some great advice when I worked summers at the dealership and eventually got me a job working at the Daniel Webster Inn so I could wait tables to make money for college. My family will always remember Bill and his humor and kindness. Prayers for his family.

Bill was dealt a very difficult hand growing up an orphan. He learned life’s lessons very quickly the hard way. Bill played his cards well. 

He grew tall and handsome with a winning smile and boundless sense of humor. In his teen years, he found a new home in the US Marine Corps. Bill thrived in the Corps. Every bit of him was the USMC, determined, tough, strong and true. He experienced brutal combat at the Chosen Reservoir in North Korea. He was captured and taken prisoner by the Chinese army. Calling on his survival skills of quick thinking and risk taking, he escaped. He shared with me many of his war time exploits and I would be pleased to share them with anyone. 

Billy and Jean shared a long, strong marriage, devoted to each other. They worked through good and tragic times, including the loss of their son and grandson which set them back in ways no one can ever know. In time, they came back to devote their lives to making the lives of their grandchildren better. They bought a bigger house and moved so their grandchildren would never experience anything like Bill’s own childhood. 
	
In business, Bill was a competitor, partner and friend for 50 years. We enjoyed traveling for business together. Bill was honest and worked hard and tirelessly to do better. He was one of the best sales people I’ve ever known.  People just plain liked him—it was fun to buy from him. In good times, we reveled; during bad times, Bill never wavered, his humor sustaining him. 

He was a fisherman, salty, fearless. Being on the TUNANUT was always a blast. Once when I was afraid in rough seas, he calmly looked at me, made a ridiculous statement, smiled and said, he’d handle it, followed by his laugh. He always came home safely. 

Recently, I had lunch with him. Bill was definitely Bill in all his special ways. He was older and slower but his laugh and spirit were as youthful as ever. That’s how I will remember him. Bill touched so many lives and made the world a better place.

The Tunafish are jumping high and the new trucks and cars are polished and shiny.  Bill’s unlimited capacity of kindness, generosity and love for Jean, family and friends are paramount.  
The hardest goodbyes are the ones you could never imagine having to say.  We would like to think that Bill is somewhere amongst the stars and that’s why they are shining a little brighter.  
Our love, thoughts and prayers will always be with you.

This was taken on 4/1/16 when we celebrated Grampas birthday.

Well, Heaven just got another good one! It was an absolute pleasure to have worked for such a great man, a true gentleman and a class act! My thoughts and prayers go out to Jean and the family! There will never be another like him! Rest in peace and God bless!

OBITUARY

William Henry Gile

April 1, 1931 – January 21, 2024

Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home

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