William H. Housworth Jr.

William H. Housworth Jr. of Trumansburg passed away at Cayuga Medical Center on Friday, April 21, 2023, at the age of 82.

Bill was born in Ithaca on December 27, 1940, the son of the late William H. and Imogene (nee Watrous) Housworth Sr. At the age of 18, Bill enlisted in the Marines as a topographical surveyor and received an honorable discharge in 1961. Bill then worked at the NY Telephone Company (Verizon) as a lineman/splicer, retiring in 1995. For over 50 years, Bill was a proud member of the Trumansburg Masonic Lodge #157. He also served his community as a member of the Trumansburg American Legion, and served on the board for the Grove Cemetery and the Trumansburg Fair. Bill was a member of the Jacksonville Community United Methodist Church where he helped with maintenance and upkeep projects; his favorite church event was the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Throughout his life, Bill enjoyed various activities such as hunting and fishing. In later years when walking became difficult, road hunting became his specialty. When Bill was younger, he spent many nights working on and racing cars; dirt-track racing and figure-eight races were his specialty. When he no longer raced, he still could be found in the pits sharing his expertise by helping his younger brother Jerry and later on, family friends, one who would become his son-in-law. Bill loved working on any type of motor and could inevitably fix any problem. As Bill grew older he loved watching his grandchildren’s events, and was so very proud of them. He also loved going for drives with his pup Cooper, as well as watching NASCAR, football, and the Yankees on TV. Bill loved to help his family and friends. If you ever needed to know how to fix something, Bill always knew how to do it. If it required a tool, he had at least two of what you needed to fix the problem. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Bill is survived by his wife of 53 years, Nancy Housworth; his favorite daughter, Rebecca (Steve) Jackson; siblings, James Housworth, Jerry (Eleanor) Housworth, Joan (John) Manheim, and Nancy (Mike) Rundle; granddaughters, Emily (fiancé Alexander Colombo) Jackson and Abigail Jackson; his beloved dog, Cooper; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Karen; siblings; Bonnie, and brother-in-law Bill White, sister-in-law Sharon Housworth, and sister Connie Housworth.

The family will be present to receive friends from 4:00-6:00 pm on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at Ness-Sibley Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 11:00 am at Jacksonville Community United Methodist Church, 1869 Trumansburg Rd, Trumansburg, NY 14886. Burial will immediately follow at Grove Cemetery. As Bill loved all 4 legged animals, the family asks those who would like to make a donation in Bill’s memory to kindly consider the Tompkins County SPCA, 1640 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.

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