William Dwyer Suits, 77, of Old Saybrook, died Dec. 17 of congestive heart failure at Hartford Hospital. He was the husband of 54 years to Carol "Mahoney" Suits. Raised in White Plains, New York, he graduated from Arch Bishop Stepinac High School in 1952, where he played a leadership role with a great group of classmates with whom he maintained lifetime friendships.

Bill attended Keystone Junior College and graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania with a degree in engineering. His professional career included jobs in manufacturing sales, real estate sales, and teaching.

Bill and his family had lived primarily in Old Saybrook since 1963, where he was extremely popular and well known. A devout catholic, Bill had been both a CCD instructor and lector at St John's parish in Old Saybrook for years. He was also an active leader in civic and community affairs. He was a youth baseball coach throughout the '60s and '70s and was an avid golfer, which he continued to do on a regular basis until only a few weeks before he died.

Bill held a leadership role and had actively participated in the Old Saybrook Rotary Club for over 25 years. In 2009, he was honored with the Rotary Club's prestigious Paul Harris Award.

Bill had a wide range of friends, who delighted in his humor and ability to engage people wherever he went. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease later in life, which only gave him greater resolve to become more active with his family and in the community.

Bill's greatest passion in life was his unconditional devotion to his family, friends, and his faith and he will be missed by all, though he leaves behind a legacy of memories that will never be forgotten.

Besides his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Barbara Storms and husband Geoff of Port Jefferson, New York; three sons, William Suits and his wife Paula of Seal Beach, California, Michael Suits of Old Saybrook, and Peter Suits and his wife Katie of Guilford; a brother, Frank Suits of Orleans, Massachusetts; a sister, Mary Anne Vlymen of Somers, New York; and 11 beautiful grandchildren.

Visiting hours will be held on Monday, Dec. 20, from 3 to 6 p.m., at the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main St., Centerbrook. A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. John's Church, Main St., Old Saybrook, on Tuesday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org/, or to the Parkinson's Foundation at www.pdf.org/.