Dr. William “Bill” Street of North Easton, MA, peacefully passed away on July 26, 2023 at Cape Cod Hospital surrounded by his wife and family after his brave battle with a brief illness.
Born in Connecticut and raised in Vermont, Bill attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (“RPI”) graduating in 1952 with a degree in electrical engineering. After working several years in electrical engineering for jet fighters and atomic submarines at General Electric and Republic Aviation he went back to school and graduated from The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont in 1959. During his residency, Bill and his colleagues worked in the anesthesia lab and were among pioneers in medicine working to develop monitoring equipment during the administration of anesthesia. Bill later graduated from the Air Force School of Aero Space Medicine and became a flight surgeon for eight years for the Vermont National Guard.
Bill eventually settled in Brockton, MA practicing as an anesthesiologist at Goddard Hospital and later Good Samaritan Medical Center (Cushing Campus) for 28 years, 17 of which he was Chief of the department. His knowledge of electrical equipment was invaluable in keeping the staff aware of and equipped with technology that made the administration of anesthesia easier and safer. An article published in the Mass. Society of Anesthesiologists written by his colleagues said of Bill that “He is loved not only by our department, but by his patients and virtually all who are fortunate enough to work with him. He is liked and admired for his wonderful fairness, warmth and willingness to give his time and experience to virtually any problem.” Bill was instrumental in shaping the Department of Anesthesia into one of the hospital’s premier services, but more importantly while there met his many lifelong colleagues, friends and his loving wife, Lorri.
Known for his gentle humor and endless intellectual curiosity, his love of skiing, cycling, flying and sailing took him around the world. Not one to keep these passions to himself, he loved taking friends up in his aircraft, out sailing on Lake Champlain, or cycling along the bike paths of Cape Cod. An avid reader, he loved discussing history and the latest nonfiction book. He spoke often of how he truly loved skiing in his home state of Vermont (during his “racing days”), traveling with friends to ski the vast mountain ranges of Europe and especially Chile and spending time with his nephews skiing in Vermont and Maine. Bill was a kind person who generously helped everyone he met both professionally and personally. An engineer at heart, he was as excited to talk about the latest technological advancements in the automobile industry as he was building a car for the Boy Scout’s Pinewood Derby with his nephews.
Bill will be deeply missed by all who knew him, especially his large and extended family including his wife Lorri (Hassan), sister-in-law Evelyn Nessralla, his nieces and nephews Linda and her husband David, Tammi and her husband Richard, Laurie-Ann and her husband Stephen, Jo-Ann, Frederick and his wife Lorrie, and Edward and his wife Lisa, his numerous grandnieces and grandnephews and their growing families. He is predeceased by his father Rev. Thomas Street who was Minister at The Old First Congregational Church in Bennington, VT, his mother Kathleen (Craigie), his sister Kate, sister-in-law Rosarina Hassan, brothers-in-law Frederick Hassan and Joseph Nessralla, and his dear friend Stuart Jacobs.
Visiting hours will be held at 9:00 AM on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at Christ Congregational Church, 1350 Pleasant Street, Brockton, MA followed by the funeral service at 10:30 AM. The family welcomes donations in Bill’s memory to The Old First Congregational Church in Bennington, VT (1 Monument Cir., Bennington, VT 05201) or to The Kristen M. Ettensohn Memorial Scholarship Fund (21 Highbank Cir., Dennisport, MA 02639).