William J. White, Jr., 74, of Medway, passed away peacefully with his loving family by his side on Friday, Oct. 13.
Affectionately known as Billy, he was born in Bangor, Maine, to the late Dr. William J. White and Mary (Sowle) White. He grew up in South Portland, Maine with his 12 brothers and sisters. He graduated from Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine, and attended Boston College where he met the love of his life and wife of 53 years Maryjane (Bauer) White.
Billy was drafted by the U.S. Army and sent to fight in Vietnam from October 9, 1970 to October 27, 1971, where he earned several medals for his bravery and courage. In 2019, he wrote a book about his time in the service titled “True Grunt: Not the Monster of Vietnam,” one of his most cherished accomplishments. Upon returning from Vietnam, Billy worked full-time while also completing his Bachelors of Arts degree in English from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. He was a hydraulic engineer and salesman before his retirement.
Billy and Maryjane raised four children, his son William J. White, III and daughters Gretchen, Heidi, and the late Rebecca White. He took much enjoyment from planning his annual family vacation with his children, using his trusted Mobil Travel Guide that inevitably ended in one disaster after another, providing a lifetime of laughter. He lived for those great big family gatherings with his siblings, children, and grandchildren, where he would come up with the most outrageous pranks to get the biggest reaction possible. His gift in life was to make people laugh and he kept his sense of humor until the very end.
Billy was affectionately known as Gramps to his 11 grandchildren, and he loved being on the sidelines of their athletic games, attending their school events, and cheering on the Medway Mustangs football and basketball teams. He also loved to make wood carvings, collect model trains and slot cars, the Boston Bruins, the Patriots, and had more DVDs than any Blockbuster store. He was a computer game wiz, and looked forward to his Wednesday morning trips to McDonalds with his friends. He could often be found mowing his lawn and swearing at his pool that he spent many, many hours trying to keep from turning green.
Billy is survived by his cherished wife Maryjane, his son William J. White, III and his wife Holly of Millis, his daughter Gretchen Grosky and her husband Jason of Atkinson, N.H., Heidi Dennis of Medway, and his beloved late daughter Rebecca Jane White who passed in 2019. He will be missed by his grandchildren Nathan, Jack, Abigail, Samuel, Connor, Lilly, Jacob, Leah, Charlie, Juliet, and Maddie. He was the brother of Joan Bryce, Nancy Dezelan, Jeanne Bogdanovich, Constance Churchill, Patricia Nelson, Thomas White and Andrew White, and the late Richard White, Mary Gray, Peter White, Michael White, and Karen White. He also had two great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and many sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral Mass Wednesday, October 18 at St. Joseph Church, 151 Village St. in Medway at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow with military honors at St. Joseph Cemetery in Medway.
Calling hours will be held on Tuesday from 4 -7 pm. in the Ginley Crowley Funeral Home, 3 Barber Street in Medway (ginleyfuneralhomes.com).