NORWAY — William “Bill” Colby Ring, 81, died peacefully at the Norway Rehabilitation Center on Friday, May 6.

In 1929, Bill was born in Rumford to the late Sidney Ring and Bessie Yates Ring Fuller. Bill graduated from West Paris High School, Class of 1948, where he played on the Western Maine Championship Basketball Team. He was a 1951 Maine Maritime Academy graduate with a B.S. in Marine Engineering. He played basketball, football and baseball for Maine Maritime.

After graduation, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Betty Smith in October 1951. Bill was a Merchant Marine for a short time before he relocated to Portsmouth, N.H., and began his engineering career at Public Service of New Hampshire. Bill and Betty made their home in Portsmouth and had two sons, Richard and Robert.

In 1965, Bill and his family moved back to Maine, where they resided in Wilton while he worked at IP for 14 years as a Power Plant Operator. After his retirement, Bill owned and trained harness race horses at the Lewiston Raceway and became a race official for the Maine Harness Racing Association.

Bill was an avid outdoorsman throughout his life and found great pleasure in hunting with his brother at their camp in Andover. In their later years, Bill and Betty moved to South Paris, where they enjoyed spending time with their family, gardening and being a part of the West Paris Historical Society.

Among those mourning Bill’s passing are his sons, Richard Ring of Jay and Robert Ring and his wife, Shirlene, of Turner; grandchildren, Eli and Tiffany Ring, Kristy and Matt Hall, Shiloh Ring and Ross LaFreniere, Katie and Victor Medina, Amanda Ring, Abby and Doug DiPasquale; seven great-grandchildren; his sister, Eleanor MacDonald of Sheffield, Mass.; his brother, David and his wife, Charlene, of South Paris; his sister, Rachel and her husband, Ron Parent, of Buxton; as well as his companion, Rebecca Stevens.

Bill was predeceased by his wife, Betty.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.oxfordhillsfuneralservices.com.

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