William E. Weydemeyer Jr.

William E. Weydemeyer, Jr. “Big Bill”, 84, passed away at his home in Lakeville on Friday, May 31st, 2024.  Big Bill was born on Wednesday, December 18, 1940, in Rahway, New Jersey and spent his early years with his dad (William), mom (Margaret), and sister (Lee) in Cranford, New Jersey.  He developed a passion for baseball and would catch every game of his favorite team, The Brooklyn Dodgers, on the radio. 

After graduating from Cranford High School, he went on to earn a degree in English Law from Bucknell University and was the recipient of the Finnegan Political Fellowship.  He was forever proud to be a Bucknell Bison and would later be overjoyed when his daughter, Caryn, went there as well. He often shared many of his memories at Bucknell with his friends and family, especially those involving his brothers at Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity (Hooray for Big Bill!).  While at Bucknell, he played baseball and was an active member of many clubs and organizations (President of student faculty, men’s judicial board, WVBU public broadcasting station, men’s glee club, freshmen fireside leader, class officer/treasurer, and officer’s club).  He went on to study law at St. John University. 

In 1964 he enlisted in the U.S Army where he was a First Lieutenant (served 1964 – 1968).  He was awarded the Army Commendation medal for meritorious service during operations in the Dominican Republic.  He was also presented with the Armed Forces Expeditionary medal. He married his 7th grade Sadie Hawkins date, Christine, in August of 1967.  They were married for 56 beautiful years.  His career spanned almost 50 years during which he worked in publishing and advertising in New York City and was brought to Lakeville, MA as President and CEO of Taunton Silversmiths.  He spent the rest of his life in Lakeville with the sense of community as one of his core values.  He would always support local businesses, volunteer his time, and say “hello” to anyone passing by.  He loved his Boston sports teams and watched every game like a quintessential New Englander by screaming at the TV.

If you knew Big Bill, you were prepared for a short story to become a long one.  He was genuinely curious about the lives/feelings/thoughts of those around him and had a special skill of making everyone feel special and loved.  If you ever needed a piece of gum, he was your guy.  He loved coaching his two children in every sport and was never afraid to brag about their accomplishments to anyone that would listen.  He appreciated hard work and would always get his yard work done before playing catch or a game of “horse”.  He loved reading, collecting information and had a thirst for knowledge. He liked his steak rare, his martini dry & chilled, a good chat, and great tunes (he loved his tunes). 

He is survived by his wife Christine, children Caryn Kelley and her husband Sean, & Bill Weydemeyer and his wife Kimberly, grandchildren Ally, Tyler, Juliet, and Lyla, grand doggy Leo, sister Lee Ellis, and many nieces & nephews. 

Please join us on Sunday, June 9th for memorial visitation at Dahlborg-MacNevin Funeral Home 280 Bedford Street Lakeville, MA from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, followed by a memorial service at 2:00 PM at the Lakeville United Church of Christ, 1 Precinct Street Lakeville, MA 02347.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the following organizations:  American Heart Association (www.heart.org), American Kidney Fund (www.kidneyfund.org), or the Dementia Society of America (www.dementiasociety.org). 

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