MORIAH — William "Bill" Arthur Conway, 90, died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012.
He was born in Richmond, Vt. on June 22, 1922, to the late Michael and Betsey (DoLoff) Conway.
He grew up and worked on the family farm until WWII, which at that time he joined and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. After his discharge he moved to Mineville and went to work for Republic Steel Corp. as a blaster. He then met and married Flora T. Bobbie on Aug. 15, 1948. After the mines closed he went to work for different construction companies as a blaster. He worked on the Lake Placid ski jumps and on the Adirondack Northway. After Flora's passing, he later married Helen Briggs on Nov. 29, 1980. He then went to work and retired from the Federal Mine, Health and Safety as an inspector. He retired at 73.
Bill is survived by his children Betsy (Jeff) Burres, Theresa Conway, Angie (Tim) Coburn and Kevin Conway; step-children Victoria (Lloyd) Boyea, Richard Briggs Jr. and (Karen), Steven Briggs (Celia) Briggs, Julie (Raymond) Hargett Jr., Glen (Lisa) Briggs and Kim Briggs; 35 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren; his in-laws, Geraldine Collins, Gladys Perry, Ken (Louise) Bobbie, Catherine Pajonas, Edmund Trombley, Joan Bobbie, Dell Jaquish, Liz Cadmus and Delores McCaig.
Besides his parents and Flora, he was predeceased by his second wife, Helen, sons Brendan, Michael Conway, John Briggs, daughter-in-law Rebecca Conway, grandson Steven Briggs Jr., great-grandson Timothy James Coburn; his siblings and spouses, Maynard Conway, Bernard, Huberta Conway, John, Margaret Conway, James Conway, Mary, Earl Emmons, Rose, Don Denton, Lottie Conway, Chrystabelle, Bill Savage; in-laws Robert and Ernest Bobbie, Grace, Donald Catanzarita, Elsie Trombley, Richard Perry, Homer Barcomb, Dorothy Zelinski, Hubert and Norbert Jaquish.
Bill loved God and was honored to serve the Lord as a Eucharist Minister. Everyone who knew Bill loved him. He would do anything for anyone, strangers included. He loved his family and would brag that no one could rock and calm a baby to sleep like he would. Bill could captivate the young and old with his many stories of his youth of the Great Depression. He was a man who stayed busy and his latest project was restoring a bulldozer, which he got on and drove before he passed.
Calling hours will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26 at the Harland Funeral Home in Port Henry. A Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Patricks Church in Port Henry. Memorial donations can be made to the Port Henry Fire Dept. Auxiliary for the Toys for Tots Program.
