William Henry Myers

William Henry Myers, 92 of Canton, passed away Saturday, March 30, 2024, at the Landing of Canton. A graveside service will be held Friday, April 26th at 10am at Georgia National Cemetery with Rev. Michael Smith officiating. William Henry (Bill) Myers – named after his grandfather – was a gifted engineer and natural musician, and a beloved friend and family man. He was born October 23, 1931, in Buffalo, NY, to Walter and Dorothy Myers. He was the fifth of seven children – four sisters and two brothers. His family moved to Utica, NY when he was three or four, then to New Hartford, NY when he was nearly eight and in third grade. Bill’s musical talent surfaced early on. In fifth grade he started playing the tonette (akin to recorder); in sixth grade he took up the alto saxophone; that January (age 12), his instructor put him on tenor sax and had him commute three days a week to play in the high school band! In his sophomore year (age 15) he joined a small dance band in the Utica area, playing most Friday nights at the YMCA and other local venues. His band instructor suggested that he buy his own tenor saxophone - that sax is now 77 years old and still sounds great! Bill also played in a polka band and in a local professional dance band. In addition to his musical pursuits, he joined the Boy Scouts, then the Sea Scouts; in his senior year, he joined NY National Guard. Upon graduating high school, Bill joined the US Navy - as a musician, naturally. He completed boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, then was sent to Joint Base Anacostia, near Washington, DC. Even before completing the basic course, he was assigned to a fleet band and transferred to the Brooklyn Receiving Station. There, he played in the ceremony to commission the USS Oriskany, CV34, a new aircraft carrier named for the Revolutionary War battle in Oriskany, NY, near Utica. Bill shipped out on the Oriskany for her shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, followed by a goodwill cruise to the Mediterranean, where the ship docked in North Africa, Turkey, Greece, Sicily, Italy, France and Gibralter. After returning to Brooklyn for retrofitting, the Oriskany and Bill were off to Rio de Janeiro; “around the horn” (South America’s Cape Horn, that is) to Valparaiso, Chile; Callao (Lima), Peru; San Diego, CA; and then to Treasure Island (San Francisco), CA. After nearly two years of nautical adventure, Bill was re-assigned to the Brooklyn Receiving Station band. He had most nights free, so he got a job at National City Bank in Manhattan, working 4pm to midnight operating the new IBM machines: sorters, tabulators and printers. He left the Navy in 1953 (age 22) as a First-Class Petty Officer (MU1). Bill started technical studies at RCA Institute, then enrolled in night classes at The Cooper Union while working day jobs in Manhattan and Queens. He eventually joined the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Eta Kappa Nu IEEE Honor Society. Most significantly, he married his first wife, Janet, with whom he raised three sons and a daughter. Upon graduating with his BSEE degree, Bill took a job as a Test Engineer with IBM in Owego, NY, and moved his growing family to nearby Vestal. He worked in Federal Systems Division doing test engineering for the NATO E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and other advanced military systems. Bill and Jan and the kids enjoyed a loving and boisterous family life, culminating when the kids all grew up and left the nest. Bill and Janet ultimately divorced in 1986. When Bill left the Navy, he stopped playing the sax - for about forty years! He briefly played upright bass in a Bluegrass band formed by work buddies in the early 70s, then in 1993 tried out back on sax with the local Mason Warrington Orchestra. He passed the audition and played for over five years with them, then joined the Blue Velvet Band for a few more years. He played in the IBM Concert Band and the Vestal Community Band, which is still active. He also immersed himself in the local folk music scene, playing recorder, tin whistle, harmonica and bagpipes for English country dancing, Contra dancing, and for Irish and Scottish organizations and groups, including The Cadgers and Shambles. He was truly a musician’s musician! Bill met Elaine at the Executive Spa when he sat down in the Jacuzzi and accidentally put his hand down on her hand. They were both startled - but their hands stayed together! They married in April 2005, linking their families: a total of seven children and (so far) eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They traveled to Jamaica for their honeymoon (and again a year later), Ireland (also twice), Alaska, the Canadian Rockies (by train from Vancouver to Toronto), and the Grand Canyon. They road-tripped in “Harvey the RV” to Nova Scotia, Branson, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indiana, Florida and the Keys, Atlanta and many destinations in NY. In 2013, Bill and Elaine moved south to the Soleil at Laurel Canyon community in Canton, GA. There they visited with their combined kids and grandkids and their Canyons friends and neighbors, cherished their many pets, actively joined in Community Center activities, and went out to dine and enjoy music and dancing. As they had in Vestal, they continued to embark on many fun trips and adventures. They took a Viking River Cruise from Germany to Budapest, and several other cruises including some centered on Irish music and dancing. Bill’s son Will is a prospecting enthusiast; he took them to a Weekend Gold Miner’s outing near Cleveland, and Bill and Will visited Auraria (site of the GA gold rush), Helen, Dahlonega, and the Chattahoochee National Forest. Still musical to the core, Bill played in concert bands in nearby towns - including the Alpharetta City Band from 2014 to 2016 - until he was no longer able to safely navigate unlit country highways at night to get to them. He also sang and played instruments in Soleil community groups and shows, including The Soleil Singers. Bill had a keen but friendly sense of humor that he shared freely with everyone he met and passed down to his kids. One favorite Dad-ism: “I love hard work - I can watch it for hours!” He worked hard himself, though – in younger years especially, he always seemed to be building or making or fixing something, and he stayed very active in keeping up the homes he lived in. He remodeled the Vestal house kitchen and basement, and at age 80 climbed nimbly up on the roof to clear the leaves (!). In Georgia, he maintained his and Elaine’s Soleil house for as long as he was able. Bill loved his extended family and friends. He also loved pets and other animals – especially walking dogs Moira and Coco, holding cats and dogs in his lap, and feeding the wild birds. He enjoyed dining, dancing, traveling, RV-ing; music, photography, art and fixing things; watching tennis, football and golf on TV; doing his crossword puzzles, Cryptoquotes, Jumbles and Sudoku; and reading the newspaper and a wide-ranging collection of books. In Bill’s long, eventful life, he influenced and impacted many of us in a profound way, and for that we are forever grateful. We will always love him, and we will miss him very much. He was preceded in death by his son, John Myers and the mother of his children Janet Myers, Sisters Genevieve Artz (Ronald), Kathleen Wise, Rosemary Fleck (Harold) and Dorothy Myers, Brothers Robert Myers (Alice) and Walter Myers Jr. He is survived by: Wife Elaine Myers of Canton, GA, Daughter Elizabeth (Eric) Defries of Dewittville, NY, Sons Rob (Karen) Myers of Amherst, NH and Will Myers of Georgetown, SC, Grandchildren Rene Andronica, Hannah Baum, William Myers, Brian Brown, Emily DeFries, Stepsons Michael (Brenda) Nalepa, Endicott, NY and Cas (Tara) Nalepa of Vinings, GA, Stepdaughter Andrea Tomaras, Alpharetta, GA, Step Grandkids Elena Tomaras, Evan Rose Tomaras and Stone Nalepa, Great grandchildren Desmond and Talia Andronica, Carrick DeFries and Charlotte and Oliver Baum, The family would like to thank the Memory Care staff of The Landings at Canton Hills for caring for Bill in the last months of his life. Special loving thanks to Charlotte Orr for her compassionate care for Bill both at home and at The Landings - she truly went above and beyond. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (https://www.lbda.org/) to support their outreach, education, and research efforts to end this life-stealing disease. The caring staff of Darby Funeral Home is honored to serve the Myers family.

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William Henry Myers

October 23, 1931 - March 30, 2024