Stephentown – William K. Halleck, Sr., 93, of Garfield Road, Stephentown, NY, passed away at his home surrounded by his family, on October 2, 2014.
Mr. Halleck was born in Hudson, NY, on January 27, 1921. During his early years in Hudson, he was run over by a Model T, earned a pilot’s license to fly small planes and helped to support the family by working in a movie theater, assisting a tinsmith and working at a car dealership. In 1942 he joined the Marines and served in the Pacific during WW II. In 1945, while stationed in Rhode Island, he met Yvette Boudreau, and they married six weeks later. They moved to Long Island, NY, where Bill worked for Grumman Aircraft. They bought land in Stephentown in 1952 and became permanent residents in 1953.
Mr. Halleck was employed at McClintock’s Chevrolet in Stephentown for a time and eventually went to work for E.D. Jones & Sons Company in Pittsfield, MA, a company that later merged with the Beloit Company. Some of his notable accomplishments include building his house, building a sailboat and sailing it down the inter-coastal waterway from New York to Texas, fabricating his own truck camper, getting to see all but four states in the U.S. and continuing to do home repairs and improvements for his customers and family into his 90s. When asked to what he attributes his long life he said, “I try to keep busy.” Mr. Halleck also loved reading, driving and eating pancakes and pie.
Mr. Halleck is survived by his wife of 69 years, Yvette (Boudreau) Halleck of Stephentown, his daughter, Sharon (Halleck) Kettelhut and her daughter Katherine Kettelhut both of Austin, TX, his son, William K. and wife Jane (Allison) Halleck of Stephentown and their children, Allison E. Halleck and husband David Kemp of North Andover, MA, and William R. and his wife Laura (Baechle) Halleck of Lancaster, MA, his son, James J. and his wife Debbi (Houbold) Halleck and their son, Ian L. Halleck of Smithville, TX, and a sister-in-law, Vera (Lack) Smith of Dalton, MA. Mr. Halleck has five great-grandchildren in Texas and many beloved nieces and nephews throughout the country.
Mr. Halleck is pre-deceased by his mother, Mabel (Vail) Smith, his daughter, Yvette J. Halleck, his siblings, Harry McDiarmid, Lilian (McDiarmid) Goetz and John Smith.
There will be a private service for the immediate family on the property in Stephentown where his ashes will be laid to rest among the ancient rocks and stately oaks that he loved and protected over his lifetime. He valued his friends and neighbors very much. Those wishing to express condolences may send correspondence to 1011 Garfield Road, East Nassau, NY, 12062. Donations to the Stephentown Volunteer Rescue Squad would be greatly appreciated. “That organization is the most valuable asset this town has. They are caring, supportive and have been wonderful to us over the years, and we greatly appreciate their service,” Bill and Yvette said recently.
Bill Halleck will be missed by many. We have lost a kind and gentle man, but his legacy lives on through the values he taught us – honesty, hard work, friendliness and doing things for others. As with others of his generation, we look upon this amazing man as a role model for how to cherish life and live it to the fullest.