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Obituary for William J. "Bill" Fish
Swanton - William Jennings Fish went to be with the Lord on Saturday January 18, 2014, in his home with his family by his side after a long illness. William was born August 17, 1925, in Gorham, NH. He was the son of Lewis and Julia Fish. William or Bill, as everyone knew him, attended Burlington High School graduating in 1943. In October of 1943 Bill entered the Army Air Corps and served until 1946. He then began serving full-time with the Vermont Army National Guard from 1947 until his retirement as a Chief Warrant Officer Grade 4 in 1985. He was shop chief in Saint Albans at the OMS Shop from 1960 until December 1982. During his time in the National Guard he was on the Vermont Army National Guard rifle team, traveling to many different states for rifle competitions and receiving numerous medals and awards for marksmanship. Bill also received the Army Commendation Medal and Meritorious Service Medal when he retired, as well as many letters of Commendation. Bill served the State of Vermont as a Deputy Game Warden for twenty one years from 1971 until 1992. During that time he also taught the Vermont Hunter safety course to hundreds of people both young and old. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in St. Albans. In addition he was an avid hunter and fisherman spending countless days on the lakes and rivers of Vermont, New York and Florida. His love of the outdoors extended to the fields and woods of Vermont for duck and deer hunting, this continued into Ontario, Canada where he spent fifteen years chasing whitetail deer. Bill enjoyed traveling, going on cruises, going to Florida in the winter and spending time with his family. Bill is survived by his wife of 47 years, Bonita (Bonnie) Andress Fish; daughter, Mary Zucker and husband, Sam; daughter, Claudia Fish; son, Peter Fish and wife, Laura; son, Michael Fish and wife, Ronda; daughter Melissa Patnode and husband, John; grandchildren, Aaron Rabinowitz, Jessica Fish, Jessica and Amanda Weidman, Sean Brunelle, Timothy Fish and Anthony Patnode and a Great Grandson, Aiden Ramsey. Also surviving are sisters, Ruth “Betty†Vallee, Muriel “Judy†Sawyer, brother, Thomas Fish and sister-in-law, Eleanor Fish. Bill was predeceased by his parents; sisters, Shirley Russell, Colleen D’Avignon, Nadine Jacques, brother, Harry Fish and Ruby Edwards. We want to say thank you to Franklin County Home Health, the Hospice nurses and caregivers that came in to our home and a very special thank you to Nikki. Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Wednesday, January 22, 2014, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the Heald Funeral Home, 87 South Main Street, St. Albans. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2014, at 11:00 A.M. in the First Baptist Church of St. Albans, 29 Congress Street, St. Albans. Military honors will follow the service at church. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy at CurePSP, 30 E Padonia Road, Ste 201, Timonium, MD 21093-9923; the Franklin County Home Health Agency, 3 Home Health Circle, St. Albans, VT 0578 or the First Baptist Church of St. Albans, 29 Congress St. St. Albans, VT 05478. Please visit www.healdfuneralhome.com to leave a private message for Bill’s family.
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