Obituary of William D. Popoli

It’s with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of William Donald Popoli on Thursday, May 29th. William, 86, of Ossining, NY passed away peacefully surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with melanoma.

Bill was born on November 8, 1938 in Yonkers New York to Filomena and Adam Popoli. He was the third born of four children (Viola, Charles, & Adam). Bill attended Commerce High School and upon graduating, entered the US Navy, and was stationed in Bainbridge, Maryland, Portsmouth, Virginia, and Great Lakes, Illinois - where Bill developed his life long love for the Detroit Tigers. After 4 years of military service, Bill joined County Trust Company in Mount Vernon, which was the beginning of a 45 year career in banking. 

In 1962, Bill married the love of his life, Grace, who he met on a blind date. Together, they raised their two children Michelle & Michael in the Homefield section of Yonkers. Bill & Grace were married for over 62 years and shared a love for traveling, taking many trips throughout Europe and the Caribbean. 

Later, Bill worked for Bank of New York, Dime Savings Bank, and Hudson Valley Bank where he was responsible for the bank’s church, religious, and legal focus groups. Bill volunteered as the treasurer of the Thornwood Lion’s Club for over 20 years, and was an integral part of their community events — the Fall Foliage Day being one of his favorites. In 1994, Bill and Grace moved to Ossining, New York where Bill continued to work in banking as well as volunteering at the Ossining Food Pantry.

The most important thing in Bill’s life was his family. His wife and his children were everything to him, only rivaled by the births of his four granddaughters (Allison, Julia, Kathryn, & Meaghan), who he was extremely close with. Bill was a constant presence in their lives - attending all games, activities, and recitals, babysitting at a moments notice, and spending every vacation with them on Long Beach Island. After retiring in 2007, Bill settled into the next phase of his life. While all of his granddaughters attended St. Theresa School, Bill volunteered in the cafeteria once a week serving lunches, just to spend an extra moment with his favorite girls. He was also the beloved Santa Claus for the St. Theresa Christmas fair for many years. 

Bill was an avid reader, a lover of old movies, and always had music playing throughout the house while he made his classic Sunday gravy. His warm, friendly personality brought him endless friends and connections, which made him unforgettable. 

Bill is predeceased by his parents (Filomena & Adam), his sister Viola, and his beloved son Michael. He is survived by his loving wife Grace, his daughter Michelle and her husband Robert, his two brothers Charlie (Pam) and Adam, his sister-in-law Carol, his four granddaughters Allison, Julia, Katie, and Meaghan, and his loving nieces and nephews. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of William Popoli to St. Jude’s Research Hospital or Melanoma Research Foundation.