Bill (Go Blue) of Madison was born in Lansing, Michigan, on Jan. 27, 1932, to William J. Morrissey and Selma Leslie (Alexander). He died Feb. 2, 2019.
At the age of three, following the death of his father, his mother and he moved to Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, to be closer to his grandparents John and Augusta Alexander. Under the watchful eye of his grandfather, Bill learned his way around nearly any machine you could imagine at the family machine shop in Detroit. This is where he developed a life-long love of metal and wood work.
Fly fishing was another of Bill’s great passions. He traveled to New Zealand, New Brunswick, the Caribbean, and many other locations in search of challenging trout, salmon, and bonefish. As a boy, visiting Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Bill learned this particular skill from his mother’s close college friend at the Broken Hammer Lodge along the Two Hearted River. This is the same location where a service will be held this summer to return his ashes to what he called his spiritual home.
Bill graduated from the University Of Michigan in 1955 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He then moved to Connecticut, working for Sikorsky Aircraft where he worked on development of many airframes that are still in use today. He was instrumental in furthering advances for Sikorsky’s Flight Safety Program. During his career at Sikorsky, Bill subsequently earned his master’s degree in engineering from Yale.
Following retirement from Sikorsky, he pursued his talents and passions with such jobs as designing floating docks, repairing furniture for anyone who asked, and managing a yacht club. He was a master woodworker who translating his talents into making furniture and treasured gifts for his family. He was Mr. Precision, always with the mantra “Measure twice, cut once.” If he was not in the basement making or fixing something, you could always find him with a rod looking for that elusive fish.
He was a member of the Anglers Club and a life-long member of Trout Unlimited, where he was actively involved in their clean rivers and “take a kid fishing” programs.
Bill leaves his wife Arline; children Bill, Sara (Chuck), Amy (Doug), and Alex (Molly); step-daughters Kirsten (John) and Stacey; grandchildren Erik, Jake, Callie, Maggie, and Mary; and step-grandchildren Melissa, Meghan, and Lauren.
Bill also leaves many friends, including a special group of fraternity brothers who managed to keep in-touch and attend their annual Go-Blue reunions.
Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives (CLEMA), 8 Meetinghouse Ln., Madison, CT 06443, where Bill spent his Friday mornings cataloging historical documents from their extensive collections.
Bill was a very special person who will be missed by all who knew him.
P.S. His initials WHM are the same when turned upside down, WHM.
