BUXTON- William “Bill” Gauley was a relatively quiet man but brave, dependable, strong, and confident. In the morning you could find Bill sitting on the back deck with a cup of coffee overlooking his yard and supervising his birdhouses. The bluebirds were his favorite, with multiple pairs taking up residence, returning year after year.
He loved working in his yard – birding, weeding, mowing, rototilling the garden, and snowblowing, all in their seasons. Neighbors often reported seeing Bill on his knees weeding the flower gardens that Joanne had planted.
Bill enjoyed working with his hands, teaching and helping family and friends with projects, including carpentry, painting, car maintenance, wallpapering and general “fixing.” Bill was the proverbial jack-of-all-trades and enjoyed nothing more than sharing his knowledge and talents. He liked hunting down elusive items or parts that others could not find or coming up with creative solutions to complete projects – he enjoyed telling the story associated with each find or solution even more.
He was proud of his time in the Navy where he sailed aboard the USS Fremont to the Mediterranean as a boilerman.
He spent many years working as a truck mechanic at Toll Road Truck Equipment in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts and then at WA Messer in Westbrook, Maine. He enjoyed the accomplishment of installing snowplows, cranes, dump bodies, and all manner of huge parts on all manner of trucks, big and small.
In retirement Bill worked for Berlin City where he transported vehicles between dealerships and to customer’s homes all across the Northeast. He enjoyed the camaraderie with the other drivers and telling the stories of his trips and travels – often calling from the middle of Lake Champlain while taking the ferry from Vermont to New York, providing an update on whether the Kancamagus Highway was open or closed, or bringing home a bag of potatoes from northern Maine.
Bill was a true family-man – expressing his love and pride in his family in both actions and words. He turned a house into a home through personal and family projects – his handprints, as well as those of his wife, Joanne, daughter, Billie-Jo, and his son, Michael, are visible throughout the house and yard.
Bill passed away on March 6, 2026. No formal service will be held. A small family gathering will occur in the spring.
Remember to hug your Dad (Mom, kid, loved ones) frequently, and hard, while you can.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Buxton, www.mainefuneral.com
- Celebrating the Lives of Veterans -