William F. Gill

MIDDLETOWN, RI - William F. ?Willie? Gill, 80, of 309 Chases Lane, Middletown, RI died Thursday, December 22, 2005, at Newport Hospital, Newport, RI. He was the husband of Margaret Anne Gallagher Gill.Born in County Leitrim, Ireland, on January 19, 1925, he was the son of the late James and Anne Gallogly Gill.Mr. Gill came to America in 1952, making Newport his adopted home. He worked for JT OConnells as a lumber yard foreman until starting his own landscape business in 1958. Mr. Gill was proud and honored to become a U.S. citizen in 1966. ?Willie? was intrumental in the construction of the Marine Little League Field in Kings Park and he also sponsered Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball teams for many years. He was an original founder of the Annual St. Patricks Day Parade and was honored as Grand Marshall in 1997, an honor in which he took great pride. Willie loved restoring antique cars. Besides his wife of 51 years, he is survived by his sons William J. Gill and his wife Libby Aud of Middletown, RI, and John P. ?Sean? Gill and his wife Karen Hall of Allentown, PA, his daughter Mary K. Martins and her husband Frank of Middletown, RI, his brother Felix Gill of Narragansett, RI, his sisters Maura Horgan of Middlebury, CT, Tessie ORourke and Josie Linnane both of Ireland, and his beloved grandchildren Brian Gill, Kevin Gill and Betsy Gill all of Middletown, RI, and Liam Gill and Cailin Gill both of Allentown, PA.He was the brother of the late John Gill who passed away in Ireland on December 11, 2005.His funeral will be held on Tuesday, December 27, 2005, at 8:00am from the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:00am St. Lucy?s Church, West Main Road, Middletown.Burial will be in St. Columbas Cemetery in Middletown.Calling hours will be held on Monday, December 26, 2005, from 4-7pm in the Memorial Funeral Home.Donations in his memory may be made to the St. Patricks Day Parade, PO Box #1404 Newport, RI 02840.