William B. "Bill" O'Grady, Jr.

William B. "Bill" O'Grady, Jr., 58, of Pownal, VT Passed away peacefully at his home on May 6, 2015 after kicking every illness' ass for the last 20 years. He was born July 12, 1956 to William O'Grady, Sr. and Vera Formhals-O'Grady in North Adams, MA. Bill graduated from Drury High School in North Adams in 1975, after which he moved to North Carolina where he lived for a few years and learned the trade to be an electrician, a profession he practiced for over 30 years and took great pride in. While in North Carolina he met his future wife, Lori Fifield. They were married in 1978, and had two children, Erin O'Grady and Logan O'Grady-Snow who over the years became his best friends. Bill moved back to Vermont in 1978 and resided in the Pownal Bennington area for 35 years. During this time he founded O'Grady Electric and was a well-respected, successful electrician for over 25 years. Bill was extremely proud of the work he did in dozens of houses in Southern Vermont and The Berkshires. Bill was also an avid hunter and fisherman and was the happiest when he was outdoors. He loved taking his boat on Lake Champlain, the Harriman Reservoir and anywhere else the fish were calling his name. Some of the things he cherished most were camping at Button Bay most weekends during the summer when the girls were young and spending the day on the water with his father, Bill Sr. He taught himself to be an excellent cook and baker, which he has been sharing with his granddaughter, Deja. His cheesecake was especially loved and his family cherishes his collection of handwritten recipes. Bill was most proud of his family and doted on his daughters and grandchildren until the end. He never tired of talking about Deja Kai and Cassidy McCoy, who considered "Big Papa" their hero. In spite of his extended illness and multiple hospital stays, Bill always maintained a beautiful positive attitude and whenever fate would deal him another blow would respond with what came to be his motto: "this too shall pass". Bill is survived by his ex-wife Lori Pinsonneault, daughter Erin O'Grady, her children, Deja Kai and Cassidy McCoy of North Bennington; daughter Logan O'Grady Snow and her husband Eric Snow with granddoggers Penelope and Seymour of Bennington. Bill is also survived by four sisters, Marsha Moreau of Hinsdale, MA, Karen Holbach of Thetford, VT, Gail Ghidotti of Painesville, OH, and his twin sister Roberta Bosak of Hoosick Falls, NY, along with many loving nieces and nephews and a number of great nieces and nephews. Bill will be especially missed by his newest companion, Ferdinand AKA Ferdi, his puppy. A time of visitation will be held Saturday May 9, 2015 from 4-6pm at Hanson-Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home 213 West Main Street Bennington, VT. If friends desire, memorial gifts in Bill's memory may be made to the William B. "Bill" O'Grady memorial fund, c/o Hanson-Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home P.O. Box 957 Bennington, Vermont 05201. The family of Bill O'Grady wishes to extend a sincere thank you to the VNA nurses and the staff at the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation for their care and support. Bill truly enjoyed sharing his latest culinary creations with his nurses. A time of visitation will be held Saturday May 9, 2015 from 4-6pm at Hanson-Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home 213 West Main Street Bennington, VT