William Charles Wanner, Jr, 85, passed away Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at Lebanon Center Genesis in Lebanon, NH. Bill was born December 10, 1929 in Queens, NY, the son of William and Ethel (Wolf) Wanner. He graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School and Farmingdale Technical College. As a youth and young man, he loved sports, and played football in a Queens/Nassau amateur Football League 130 pound division in the 1940's. He also played for Farmingdale while he attended the college. He took a hiatus from his education to serve in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1955, during the Korean War. Upon his honorable discharge he enrolled in Hofstra College, graduated in 1958, and then began his career as a project administrator at Hazeltine Electronics.

He married Joan C. Knoblock in 1959. They became parents in 1962; their son William was born on Bill's 33rd birthday. Bill continued to further his education, attending school at night, receiving his MBA from Hofstra University in 1963. He and Joan bought a home in Commack, NY, and their daughter, Virginia, was born in 1964. In 1967 Bill took a position in the contracts department at Grumman Aerospace, and remained with the company for 27 years. He was a devoted father and husband, and relished family celebrations, vacations, boating trips and camping with the Boy Scouts (even in sub zero temperatures!) A few years after his retirement, a day dream was realized and the couple moved to the Upper Valley, encouraged by their children, who were already following their dreams and had headed north.

Bill welcomed his carefree new life at Sterling Springs, in White River Junction, VT. He loved being able to visit more with his adult children. He became a faithful member of the Norwich Congregational Church. He climbed Mount Cardigan and did it again 5 years later. He served as president, and later, vice president of the Northern New England Grumman Retiree Club. Despite health challenges, he took great pleasure in arranging and attending the club luncheons, and enjoyed their annual trips to Maine. He was "Mr. Fixit" and was always looking for ways to help friends and neighbors.

Bill is survived by his wife, Joan Wanner, of White River Junction; his son, William K. Wanner and wife Gale Murray, of Canaan, NH; his daughter, Virginia Morrison and husband, Mark, of New Haven, VT; his sister, Audrey Frisch-Kadletz and husband, Bill; his brother-in-law, Richard Knoblock and wife, Diane; his sister-in-law, Virginia McKay and husband, Richard. Bill had great love for his many cousins, nephews, and nieces on all sides of our family. Though some of them were not within visiting distance for him, he always kept them in his prayers.

A celebration of Bill's life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2015, at the Norwich Congregational Church in Norwich, VT, with a reception following in the church hall.


The family encourages anyone wishing to honor Bill's memory in a lasting way to consider making a memorial donation to the Upper Valley Humane Society(300 Old Route 10, Enfield, NH 03748), or a charity of your choice.