William M. "Bill" Fury

William M. “Bill” Fury, 82 of Gaylord, passed away on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at home.

Born in Detroit, MI on January 18, 1937, Bill was the son of Leon William and Mary Ruth (Sullivan) Fury.  He grew up in Wyandotte where he was a 1955 graduate of St. Patrick’s Catholic High School.

Bill attended Notre Dame University, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in 1959.  That same year he began law school at Mercy University of Detroit, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1962.

For eight years, he served honorably in the Michigan Army National Guard.

On September 12, 1964, Bill married the love of his life, Joann M. Maciag, at St. Stanislaus Church in Wyandotte.  They began their life together in Birmingham while Bill worked at Detroit Bank & Trust.  In 1975 the family moved to Gaylord where Bill joined Gaylord State Bank to establish their trust department and in 1982 his work took them to Boca Raton, FL for ten years.

In 1992 he and his family moved back to Gaylord where he joined the law office of Bensinger, Cotant & Aardema (now Bensinger, Cotant & Menkes), retiring in 2012.

Bill was very active in the Gaylord Community as a member of the Knights of Columbus, a founding member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and a member of the Rotary Club of Gaylord. He was a voracious reader and a longtime member of the Otsego County Library board of directors.

Bill was a parishioner at St. Mary Cathedral parish, a member of the St. Mary Catholic Schools board of education and he worked on CSA fundraising.  He and Joann also worked with parish families at marriage preparation and marriage encounters.

He was an avid fan of Notre Dame University sports, especially football and basketball, he enjoyed downhill and cross country skiing and playing racquetball and ocean fishing.   In recent years he became interested in drawing and crossword puzzles.  He loved his family and always had a special interest in the education of his children and grandchildren.

Bill and Joann enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and the world.  They both also enjoyed fine dining at the many restaurants they liked to visit.

Bill is survived by Joann, his wife of 55 years; a daughter, Colleen (Troy) Root of Kalamazoo; a son, Kevin (Naomi) Fury of Warren, VT; grandchildren, Mirei, Oren, Alexander and Elanor; sisters-in-law, Shirley Fury; Alice Maciag, Margaret (Joseph) Swiderski, Mary Jane (Jim) Smith; brothers-in-law, Paul (Leslie) Maciag and Alvin (Lynn) Maciag; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Patrick and Michael Fury; a brother-in-law, Walter Maciag and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Therese and Ted Gutowski.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, October 5, 2019 at St. Mary Cathedral where the family will visit with friends beginning at 10:00 AM.  In lieu of flowers, those who wish are asked to consider memorial contributions to the Otsego County Library, the Otsego County Commission on Aging or St. Mary Cathedral or School.

Arrangements are by Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service.  Please share your memories and personal messages with the family at www.gaylordfuneralhome.com