Obituaries
Obituary: William F. Foley, 80, of Meriden
William, a true outdoorsman and loving family man, proudly served in the U.S. Navy and worked nearly 40 years for Sea-Land Services-Maersk.
MERIDEN, CT - (From Wallingford Funeral Home) William F. Foley, 80, of Meriden and formerly of New Jersey, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by the love of his family on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, following a long journey with Alzheimer’s Disease.
He was the beloved husband of the late Rhoda M. (Elwell) Foley.
William was born in Point Pleasant, NJ and raised in Bayonne, NJ. He graduated from Bayonne High School where he had been on the basketball, baseball and swim teams. Following graduation, William enlisted in the United States Navy in 1959.
He proudly served aboard the USS William R. Rush DD-714. His time abroad in the Mediterranean and Europe provided him with a myriad of stories he loved to share with friends, family and fellow veterans.
It was on a short leave home that he met his future wife at Slim’s Café in Bayonne. What happened next is well known to those that knew and loved him. The countless postcards and letters sent back home to Rhoda were carefully boxed and now a timeless treasure for his family to hold onto.
After completing his service with the United States Navy, William went on to work for Sea-Land Services (Maersk) in sales and logistics; he retired after nearly 40 years of service.
William, a true outdoorsman, shared a love of the open waters and boating with his wife which led them to retire “down the Jersey Shore.” It was there that they enjoyed making many memories including teaching his granddaughters how to crab, endless lagoon happy hour tours and far too many “big fish” tales to tell.
William leaves behind to honor his legacy, his daughters and sons-in-law, Jill & John Varley and Jane & Todd Sperry; and his cherished granddaughters, Danielle, Maegan and Rachel Varley who brought pure joy into his life. Dad, (Grandpa Jersey), you will be missed more than you know.
You can now rest in peace and be reunited with Grandma Jersey. We love you. In addition to his beloved wife, Rhoda, William was preceded in death by his parents, William F. & Marie (Kaczynski) Foley and his sister, Ellen M. Chioffi.
Burial with full military honors will be held privately in New Jersey. Arrangements are under the direction of The Wallingford Funeral Home.
If you so desire, please consider making a donation in William’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Floor 17 Chicago, IL 60601 or to Franciscan Home & Hospice Care, 267 Finch Ave., Meriden, CT 06451.
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