Bill started learning how to tune pianos in Davenport, IA in the mid 1960's as an apprentice to a German musician by the name of Earl Sloan who came to the U.S. to escape Hitler.  When Bill moved to Indianapolis, he worked for Wilking Music tuning pianos that they sold and in their showroom.  He then started his own piano tuning business and continued that until he retired in 1999.  Up until 1982, he was doing this work at the same time he was playing nights, which made for very long days and very little sleep.  When he moved to California, he stopped playing and started going to a Piano Rebuilding School run by Dennis Nicholson, who taught him the technical side of rebuilding pianos and gave him a whole new perspective on the craft.  Dennis became a mentor to Bill and gave him an opportunity to hone his skills in woodworking and piano engineering.  In the late 1980's, he and another student of the school obtained a piano that had been completely disassembled by an amatuer piano technician - hundreds of parts in disarray - and they rebuilt it in Bill's garage, refinished it and sold it.  it was in perfect condition when they got done.  Bill was amazing at his craft, and had a great mind for engineering.  He was a member of the Piano Technicians Guild for over 50 years and was a Life Long Member after he retired.

William Salvatore Pasquale, Jr. (Bill), 78, born in Fitchburg, MA, made his transition at his Brookfield home with family by his side on Thursday, October 8, 2015.  Bill is survived by his wife of 33 years, Sue, his children Gina (Steve) Doorn of Los Alamos, NM and Joe (Deb) Pasquale of Brentwood, TN, his brother Raymond of Gardner, MA, his grandchildren, Anthony Accardo, Jon Doorn and Alex Pasquale, his great grandchild, Elliot Accardo, as well as many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his brothers, Rocco Pasquale and Anthony Pasquale, and his sisters, Rose Perry, Lena Boulay and Elsie Sherrin.

Bill was a professional jazz guitarist from the age of 15.  At 19 he was the house guitarist at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas.  From there he traveled with various groups throughout the east coast, Canada and the Midwest, finally settling down in the Quad Cities where he married his first wife Donna and started a family.  There he played regularly with the Sotos Brothers and had the opportunity to perform with many name jazz musicians including Johnny Hartman, Gene Krupa and Dodo Marmarosa.  He moved to Indianapolis in 1968 where he continued his music and toured with several popular jazz musicians and married his second wife, Sue.  After living in Southern California and then moving to Chicago, he spent several of his later years performing with his wife as a duo and quartet in the greater Chicago area.

A memorial service will be performed by Rev. Bruce Anderson, whom Bill had known very well since the early sixties, at the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Niles, IL in November.  The date is yet to be determined.  Memorial tributes may be made at http://william-salvatore-pasquale.forevermissed.com. The memorial service will be video taped and available to all who are too far to attend.