1951 – 2016

WALES — William “Bill” Charles Bair Jr. passed away peacefully with his family at his side in Wales on Wednesday, March 2, after a long illness. He was listening to his favorite band, The Beatles, at the time. He was 64 years old.

He was born Oct. 30, 1951, in Hazleton, Pa., to William C. Bair Sr. and Rita Dumas Kane. In the late 1970s, he moved to Boston, Mass., and eventually met Stephanie Parker, originally of Auburn. The two began dating and were later married on May 16, 1982. The couple relocated to rural Maine, a state Bill grew to love for its beautiful scenery, fauna and flora.

Bill had a wonderful sense of humor and could easily grab the attention of everyone in a room with an anecdote. He was known for his love of The Three Stooges and John Lennon and collected World War II and shot glass memorabilia. Although never formally educated in history, he had a deep knowledge of the topic and he loved to discuss and debate past events, world leaders and battles. Bill also enjoyed cooking and worked professionally as a baker for several years. He also loved his pets and other animals. His love of birds was apparent when, for a number of years, he had pet geese, or “Bo-Bos,” as he fondly referred to them.

Bill’s intelligent, witty and colorful language peppered anyone within earshot. He kept up with current events and he could often be heard fuming at a politician’s latest gaffe or stance, again in a humorous way that made everyone around him laugh. He had a seemingly endless supply of colloquialisms and unique phrases. Bill was a one-of-a-kind character with a big heart; the world is poorer for his loss.

Although he was not a fan of traveling, he did venture to a number of places in his 65 years, including China, New Orleans, La., and Quebec. Despite his initial reluctance to go to these places, Bill — a true raconteur — always came home with great stories. He loved to talk about the local culture and cuisine of the places he visited: In China he was amazed at the sheer number of people, the traffic and amazing precision of the drivers, and after a trip to New Orleans, Creole cuisine, creme brulee and jazz brunches were some of his favorite memories.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Stephanie Parker; sister, Martha Ross, of Waim?nalo, Hawaii; daughter, Brenda Bair Griffith and her husband, Kenneth, of Mississippi; daughters, Marissa Parker Bair and Leanna Parker Bair of Wales; sons, William C. Bair III and George Bair of Pennsylvania; and grandchildren, Landon Bair, Kaiden and Emelyn Griffith. He is also survived by his very close friend and cousin, Boby Bear, of Boston, and best bud, Stephen Schmickrath, of Newburyport, Mass.

He was predeceased by his father and mother.

The family is extremely grateful for the assistance and care that Bill’s sister-in-law, Lou-Anne Parker, provided in his final 18 months at his home. Bill’s loving teenage daughters, Marissa and Leanna, also ensured that their father lived as comfortably as possible, going above and beyond for their father as he battled his illness.