William J. Nash Sr

Middletown, RI - William "Bill" Joseph Nash, Sr., 74, of Middletown died Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at Newport Hospital. He was the husband of Barbara (Arruda) Nash.Born December 22, 1938 in Newport, RI, he was the son of the late James T. and Phyllis (Basso) Nash.Bill grew up in Newport and was a 1957 graduate of De La Salle. He attended Providence College and began his professional career with IBEW Local 99 as a Journeyman electrician working on many projects throughout RI including Newport Hospital and Newport Bridge. He continued his career with the Outlet Company in Providence, and then retired after working 10 years at Raytheon. He also was a loyal Newport Call Fireman for many years.While his children were young, he was very active with their sports, including Middletown Little League and Babe Ruth, Newport Youth Hockey and Middletown Pop Warner football, as well as the Cub Scouts. Bill was a member of the Newport Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree, a longtime season ticket holder for the New England Patriots, and a dedicated Red Sox fan. Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1992 and started the first support group in Newport. His efforts provided the impetus for revitalizing the Rhode Island Chapter of Parkinson's Disease Association, helping many families support each other through the struggles of Parkinson's. Besides his wife of over 48 years, he is survived by his three sons, William Nash, Jr. and his wife Cathy of Middletown, RI, Tim Nash and his wife Danielle of Stamford, CT, and Andrew Nash and his wife Sue of Bristol, his brother Jim Nash and his wife Rosemarie of Middletown, his brother-in-law Tom Arruda of Fall River, MA; and the apples of his eyes, his grandchildren Kyle, Kailey, Kevin, Ben, Grace, Madeline and Caroline. He also leaves several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. Nothing brought more joy and happiness to Bill then his grandchildren. We will always remember his beautiful smile. Calling hours will be held on Friday, March 1, 2013, from 4:00-7:00pm in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport.His funeral will be held on Saturday, March 2, at 9:00am from the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00am in St. Lucys Church, 909 West Main Road, Middletown. Burial will be in Trinity Cemetery, Portsmouth.Memorial donations may be made to American Parkinsons Disease Association, Rhode Island Chapter, P.O. Box 41659, Providence, RI 02940-1659. Cemetery Details Trinity Cemetery East Main Road Portsmouth, RI, 02871 Visitation MAR 1. 04:00 PM - 07:00 PM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com Service MAR 2. 10:00 AM St. Lucys Church 909 West Main Road Middletown, RI, US, 02842