Dearest Friends and Family,
This memorial website was created in honor of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and cousin, Bill. He was born December 5, 1944 in Newark, New Jersey and found his peace May 13, 2016 just outside his childhood hometown of Maplewood, New Jersey with his family at his side.
Growing up, Billy teamed up with brothers Michael and Frankie, “sisters” Joyce and Gail, and many friends (including the Cohen family, Bob, and Barry) to give parents Ethel and Anson (and the rest of Maplewood), all they could handle. After graduating from Columbia High School and then surviving the frigid weather at Allegheny College, Bill pursued both a career in hospital administration at George Washington University and Carolyn Staub. They met on day one of his first job as a hospital administrator and began dating on day two. In October they celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary.
A job opportunity at a hospital brought Bill and Carol to Richmond, Virginia where they met many treasured friends who are still like family today. A few years later, the couple welcomed daughter Rachel and then son David. In the ensuing years Dad enjoyed shuttling the kids between dance classes, soccer games and tennis tournaments, not to mention assisting with homework, science projects and other fun activities that come with children. A promotion at work led to extensive travel which made him rethink this career.
So he took the obvious path from hospital administrator to BBQ restaurant owner where his secret sauce was the best in town. During this time he became a member of the Chester Rotary Club and has participated in numerous community service projects over the past 20 years. In retirement, Bill followed his passion for children and learning by substitute teaching at the local elementary schools. This “job” allowed him flexibility to enjoy golfing, hanging out at the library reading, gardening, visiting with friends, and traveling often and extensively with Carol and other family members.
Despite his lifelong pursuit of continuous learning, Bill resisted incorporating what he learned of technology into day to day life. He enjoyed being “old school” with a flip phone, even programming the number for Expedia in to help him plan all their amazing trips (rumor has it Expedia has a website as well). Bill often retold stories of skipping school to go to Yankee Stadium, traveling cross country after college, and attending Woodstock. In more recent years his most loved hobby was spoiling his granddaughters, Sarah and Ella.
A true gentleman, always kind and patient to all, Bill touched many lives and was universally loved. Though we will miss him dearly, we’re grateful for the incredible memories and wish to honor Bill with a Celebration of Life on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at The Boathouse Restaurant in Brandermill, located at 4602 Millridge Parkway, Midlothian, VA. Please feel free to join us anytime between 11:00 am - 2:00pm.
Dad - We hope you are now searching for “The Truth Out There” with Mulder and Scully!
Write to David (david.rauschberg@gmail.com) if you plan to join us for Dad’s celebration.
Please feel free to share your memories of Bill on this site or send them to David, as we plan to compile a memory book to pass on to his granddaughters.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Maplewood New Jersey Library Foundation (https://maplewoodlibraryfoundation.org) or your local library.
Tributes
Leave a tributeI am too.
It's hard to believe it's 7 years already. You are missed.
Just know you are missed. Each occasion our families are together, your presence is noted and deeply felt.
I will never forget you, Billy.
I think of you often, especially at this time of year.
In my mind’s eye I picture us having a catch on the street outside your house where we grew up. That makes me happy. In those days it seemed like summer would never end.
I will always miss you, buddy.
We decided to donate books to the girls school library in your honor. You'd love the topics of the books, everything from music, space, weather, religion, movies, and more. Sarah has turned into a big reader just like you. And Ella is going to be a total mischief maker like you as well. You'd be so proud of them!
We hold tight to all our wonderful memories of you and bring you along as we make more.
Happy Birthday! Love, Rachel, Jon, Sarah, and Ella
You are greatly missed in this world - you have left an amazing legacy in your family. What a heavenly job you and Carol did in raising your children. You must look down so proudly in what they have become. Love to all of you, Lorraine
Remembering you on your second birthday in Heaven, and knowing you should still be down on this Earth with us. Hoping you know the love and wonderful memories your family and friends will have for you forever. Indeed you are "Forever Missed?
A year ago you passed on from this earth,, but you live on vividly in the hearts and minds of your family and friends, and you always will,. Norman's and my thoughts and love go out to Carol, Rachel, David and all the family
RIP, good buddy.
Ben
Love, Robert, Leslie and Beck
Much love from Philip & Melissa, Emma & Chloe
Jonathan and Kathy
He taught me how to select books to read. Since his search for knowledge was enormous, he once told me to go to a library or bookstore and research the writer before buying. In this manner you didn't amass author volumes with which you did not agree and would not enjoy. Many times I would run into Bill in bookstores researching titles. Both of us were UFO believers. We often debated theories on extraterrestrial life. I liked his Woodstock stories and he liked my CIA tales.
As a successful hospital administrator, restaurant owner and now an educator, he once kidded me he was on his third career and I had not yet finished my first one!
More recently he seemed to be focused on his granddaughters where that love dimension i referenced earlier was perhaps brightest.
There's a song lyric made popular not long ago that states "Only the Good Die Young". So true in Bill's case and I'll miss that loving scholarly gentlemen.
Am so sad about losing one of the best cousins at such a young age. I remember when Bill was a Hospital Administrator, Restaurant Manager, and eventually an Elementary School Substitute when he finally retired. In fact, the children and teachers loved him so much... he was booked every week.
Bill and Carol always made time to visit their west coast relatives ever since Rachel and David were born. I remember those days in North Hollywood and those later days in Pacific Grove and Mendocino. Bill was such a soft, sensitive, and brilliant cousin who listened to every word others shared, invited them to share more, and made everyone feel at home.
Will miss those days when Bill read a book every day, shared every book's story, and kept us warm with his heart and stove tight fires. When the fire was losing it's flame, Bill knew just how to rebuild it again!
Have lit a candle and planted a flower on behalf of Bill. With so much love and affection,
Cousin Melanie
Leave a Tribute
I remember last time I talked to Bill I just finished a book on the Kennedy assassination and Bill and I sat down to talk about it so I loaned him the book. Well by the time he was ready to leave he almost finished the book wow! Happy birthday Bill you are truly loved by so many and will always be missed. Wish there were more of you in this world. Love Bob Dease Jr
My Golf Buddy
It is incredibly sad to be writing this today. I met Bill about 3 years ago when I joined the Chester Rotary club. He was instrumental in getting me to join after having visited. I remember the excitement on his face when he found out that I was a golfer. Bill and I played in a few tournaments with Rotary, but the most enjoyable times were with me and Bill at Brandermill Country Club and Birkdale Country Club. Every Wednesday at our Rotary meeting we greeted each other with "you want to golf this weekend." We played a lot of golf in the short 3 years that I knew him. A few times we would end those rounds with a beverage in the club house, Bill with his Cherry Coke and me a beer. I will miss these golf rounds with Bill very much. A great Rotarian and an even better person. I dont make new friends very easily, but Bill was one of them. He will be missed.
Joe