WESTFIELD – William J. LaBossiere, 82, of Gardner Falls Rd., died Sunday morning, January 27, 2019 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Bill was born in New York City on April 27, 1936 the son of Romeo and Dorothy (Seiter) LaBossiere. He served in the US Army during the era of the Korean war. In his younger years Bill was an avid sky diver and was a member of Jumptown in Orange, MA. He was also an instructor for many people on their first jumps. It was through sky diving that Bill met his wife, the former June (Cote) and they were married on February 19, 1966. A resident of Westfield, MA for many years, he was employed as a machinist/engineer for Hamilton Standard and United Technologies for well over 30 years. He retired in 1993 and purchased a home in Buckland to enjoy his retirement years with his wife June. In his free time Bill liked to go rock “hounding” with June, he enjoyed fishing, archery, gardening and in his later years, coin collecting. An amateur architect, he designed the home that was built for his family in Westfield. Spending his early years as a child in New York City, he was forever a Yankees fan.
Survivors include his two daughters; Joanne Boyd of Clearwater, FL, Janice Rock and her partner John Bulger, Jr. of Buckland, as well as his five grandsons and nieces and nephews. Bill was predeceased by his wife June on April 24, 2013, as well as a brother Phillip and sister Dorothea Gilpatrick previously. At Bill’s request there are no services. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children at www.shrinershosptalsforchildren.org Smith-Kelleher Funeral Home of Shelburne Falls is assisting the family. www.smithkelleherfuneralhome.com
