William Stewart Conway (also known as “Bill”) died peacefully in his sleep on January 19, 2026 at Bay Square Assisted Living in Yarmouth, Maine. He was 94. He is pre-deceased by his wife of 67 years, Carol Corrigan Conway, who passed away October 3, 2020, and is survived by his four children: Kevin [Claire], Kelly Frantzen [Douglas], Thomas [Eileen, deceased], and Jamey [Kellie Lynch], nine grandchildren: Caitlin, Conor, Kevin, Molly, Will, Christopher, Corey, Colin, Jess, and seven great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Sheila Brooks, and many nieces and nephews.
Bill was the oldest of two siblings, born to James Francis and Evelyn Conway on May 5, 1931, in Rockville Centre, NY. Bill graduated from Union College in 1952. He enlisted in the Air Force shortly after graduation and served overseas in Wiesbaden, West Germany. Bill was honorably discharged from the Air Force in early 1957 after achieving the rank of Sergeant. Bill served as an investigator in the Office of Special Investigations.
Bill was a passionate reader, and continued to receive his beloved New York Times in paper form until shortly before he died. Bill loved to make custom shaker-style furniture, having made many four-poster beds and dining room tables for his children, where politics and policy were “discussed” well after dinner was finished.
Bill served as President of Fayson Lakes Association, a private homeowners’ lake association in Kinnelon, NJ, where many summer days were joyfully spent swimming, sailing and playing tennis. Speaking of tennis, Bill built not one but two backyard clay tennis courts, one in South Salem and one in Sand Brook, where many hours of tennis were played with family and friends. The many wheelbarrow loads of gravel, rock dust and clay that were hauled, dumped, and spread by Bill and his sons created a wonderful place to play.
As a political science, history, and sociology major, Bill loved to talk politics and in particular WWII, becoming somewhat of an unofficial expert on both the European and Pacific theaters. Growing up as a young teen on Long Island, Bill would regularly break out his binoculars and scout the sky for enemy aircraft. His knowledge of WWII aircraft was so good that he was able, in his late 60’s, to name country, make and model of over 90% of allied and axis aircraft upon being flashed WWII-style black and white silhouettes of airplanes printed on the back of 52 playing cards!
Bill also had a huge love for his dogs, having owned 13 dogs from the time he got out of service until well into his 80’s - german shepherds, mutts, poodles, goldies, hunting dogs, chocolate labs… He loved to walk his dogs to the reservoir to play fetch, endlessly lobbing tennis balls out into the water to be followed by the sound of a happy dog splashing about, paddling furiously to snatch and retrieve.
Bill earned his “VFR” pilot’s license in his 60’s and once flew solo a single engine airplane cross-country out to the experimental aircraft association airshow in Osh Kosh. He also built a two-person aluminum airplane in his garage over a few years that was FAA certified for flight, but he unfortunately lost too much of his balance by the time he finished and never flew his plane.
Bill once remarked his best and favorite gift was the gift of his children, with whom he loved to spend time, work on projects, and enjoy conversations over his favorite scotch and grapefruit. From his kids, and their significant others and friends, he picked up a number of nicknames, including Wild Bill, Banachek, and Bee Sting. While he may have been as filtered as his unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes, Bill was a loyal father and husband who loved to cultivate his home and hearth for family and friends.
According to Bill’s wishes there will be no funeral service or other celebration or event to note his passing. In typical Bill style, he asked for his ashes to be collected in a large, empty coffee can, to be sprinkled into the Delaware River at the Barryville rapids. Bill had too many doctors, nurses and caregivers to count, and the family extends their heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of them for their love and care they provided Bill. He is and will be missed.
To share memories of Bill or to leave the family an online condolence please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com
