It is with great sadness that the family of William (Bill) Bayer, age 87, shares that he passed away peacefully on October 9, 2020. Born in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression on the upper west side of Manhattan, Wilhelm soon changed his name to William after a brief family trip to Germany in 1937. Yes, he did not return to America on his uncle’s U-boat, which was one of the many tales he told throughout his life. Although, tragically, he did find himself as the patriarch of his family that included his mother Angela and sister Helen (who predeceased him) when his father, Jacob, passed away in 1945. While his father was an entertainer who gave him a love for music and dance, his step-father, John Beck, provided him with a joy for gardening. A life-long learner, artist, and traveler, after completing studies at the City College of New York, Bill spent two years in the Air Force where he sang in the choral group and spent three months in Morocco perfecting his French. While working in the insurance industry in Jacksonville, Florida, he met the love of his life Eileen, to whom he was a dedicated and caring husband for 45 years. Soon after, daughter Angela and son Liam were born. They later ended up in Boston where an extended Irish American family was delighted by his tenor that won him acclaim in Danny Boy contests, his photography sessions and his dedication to doing the dishes, which was how he stayed out of the way at family gatherings hosted in their home in Dorchester. A dedicated father, he was very involved in his children’s activities and wanderings, so much so that he helped found a local soccer league. He joined his family on travels to Germany - often with his sister Helen and niece Heidi and family, Ireland, Argentina, Baltimore, Spain, Venezuela, and Peru - where his son-in-law, Mijail, took Bill and his camera on many adventures. He eventually brought everyone together in his new and final home in Folsom, California. There, Bill served as a pastoral minister to the sick and homebound in his parish, enjoyed singing with the Off-Key Singers, and took many walks led by his faithful dog, Maisey. A perfectionist, his passion for photography and painting are ever-present in his home and in the homes of many who knew him. These passions live on in his grandchildren, Liam, Andrej, and Dylan. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, including the Joyce, Ripberger-Short, Clifford, Dickson, and Pleasants families. If you wish to remember Bill, in lieu of flowers please donate in his name to Doctors Without Borders, at https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/ or Doctors Without Borders USA P.O. Box 5030 Hagerstown, MD 21741. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, A Celebration of Life service will be held when conditions allow. In the meantime, please consider Bill’s way of being: Never judge, pay attention to the details, and always persevere.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MountVernonMemorial.com for the Bayer family.
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