OTISFIELD — William Joseph McCoy Jr., 70, passed away on Wednesday, April 12.

He was born to William Joseph McCoy Sr. and Rita Roslyn McCoy on Dec. 29, 1946, in Providence, R.I. Known as Bill or Billy, his life was full of love, joking, and laughing with family and friends in Maine and Rhode Island. He attended high school at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, Rhode Island. Billy met his wife, Pat, while working with her at the Newport Creamery when they were both 17 years old. As a young man, he was known for pulling pranks and recounting the stories to friends.

Bill joined the U.S. Navy in 1968 and was stationed at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, where Bill and Pat first experienced living in Maine, delighting in the state’s quiet and beauty. While in the Navy, Bill was joined by Pat in Spain for an adventure where he took many candid photos and compiled an album of people of Spain. Bill graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 1973, where he majored in psychology.

Bill and Pat were house parents for Spurwink in Portland in the early 1970s and then moved back to Rhode Island, where they had their first two children, Liam and Melanie. When Melanie was an infant, they moved to Casco, where Bill joined Spurwink’s Edgefield School as the director from 1977 to 1980. Bill then served as executive director of the Pottle Works (Pottle Hill Inc.) in Mechanic Falls and the W.T. Twarog Senior Center in Auburn from 1980 until he retired in 2007. Bill had the fortune of satisfying his passion of helping people with disabilities throughout his career and demonstrated care and respect for all through his work. While at Pottle Works, he started the Pottle Hill Road Race, “New England’s Toughest 10K.”

Bill and Pat had their third child, Stephanie, in 1986. Their home was in Otisfield, where Bill enjoyed ice fishing and boating on Thompson Lake. He loved to drive large cars from the 70s and work on the house.

In 1993, Bill was elected president of the Maine Association of Rehabilitation Services. He was also a past president of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Oxford Hills Vocational School Board, and a member of the Oxford American Legion. Bill enjoyed participating in a study committee for the town of Otisfield.

Bill loved the ocean and dove into the waves for a “dip” whenever he had the opportunity, regardless of the water temperature. He also enjoyed camping in Maine and Canada, where the family vacationed for many summers. Bill spent free time doing crossword puzzles, reading, playing cribbage, gin and gin rummy with friends and family. He was a master of trivia. Bill loved golfing and was a member of Poland Spring Country Club for many years, where he was referred to by the staff as “The Three Wheel Wonder” because of his unique golf cart.

Bill enjoyed taking vocal lessons at The Denmark Arts Center from Lillian Morse. He made progress toward his goals of mastering singing, “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers and playing, “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John on the piano.

He is survived by his mother, Rita Roslyn McCoy, 97; his wife, Patricia McCoy, 70; his son, Liam McCoy, 42; his daughter, Melanie Gilligan, 40; and his daughter, Stephanie Mulligan, 30. Bill is also survived by his four sisters, Mary Scannell, Ann Sullivan, Elizabeth Santomaro and Patricia Rinaldi; and two brothers, Joseph McCoy, and John McCoy.

Family and friendships were the most important part of Bill’s life. At the time of his passing, Bill greatly loved his eight grandchildren, Sally, Brady and William McCoy, of his son, Liam and wife, Katie, residents of Cape Elizabeth; Elise and Colin Gilligan, of his daughter, Melanie and husband, Matt, residents of Scarborough; and Clara, Emmett and Adelina Mulligan, of his daughter, Stephanie and husband, Matthew, residents of Lincoln. Bill also very much loved all of his siblings and their spouses, children, and grandchildren, his sister, Mary Scannell and her husband, Jerry, of North Providence, R.I.; his sister, Ann Sullivan and her husband, Timothy, of Narragansett, R.I.; his sister, Elizabeth Santomaro and her husband, Joe, of Providence, R.I.; his sister, Patricia Rinaldi and her husband, Ronnie, of Bristol, R.I.; his brother, Joe McCoy and his wife, Lorna, of North Providence, R.I.; and his brother, John McCoy and his wife, Cindy, of Boston, Mass.

Bill encountered several health challenges over the past 10 years and exhibited considerable strength, always fighting to get better and never complaining. He will be deeply missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings and their spouses, many nieces and nephews and their children, and all of the friends and neighbors he had throughout his life in both Maine and Rhode Island.

Online condolences may be left for the family at hallfuneralhome.net.

William Joseph McCoy Jr.

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