Grafton – William J. Nugent, Jr., 92, died peacefully on Sunday, September 20, 2015. Born in Petersburgh on June 29, 1923, he was the son of the late William J. and Alice Reinhardt Nugent, Sr. He was educated in Petersburgh schools and was a graduate of Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls and later graduated from Siena College in Loudonville.
Mr. Nugent served as a First Lieutenant in the 15th US Army Air Corps as a pilot of a B-17 bomber with the 32nd Bomb Squadron in the European Theatre. He received a Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his gallantry in combat action.
Bill worked as a rural mail carrier out of the Petersburgh Post Office for 37 years before retiring on October 31, 1986. He was a former Deacon and Eucharistic Minister at St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church in Grafton. Active in politics, Bill was a Grafton Town Councilman and Deputy Supervisor during the 1990s. Beloved to all who knew him, Bill always made everyone feel better. His kindness, knowledge, conversations and advice will be dearly missed.
He was the husband of the late Marie H. Nugent and the late Bernice Bly Nugent; loving father of Helen Ann Hemendinger of Grafton, William H. Nugent of Grafton, Mary Kay (Edward) Rockenstire of Everett, WA and Rosie (Tony) Carelli of Grafton; proud grandfather of Ryan Hemendinger, Sean (Nicole) Hemendinger, Greg and Brianna Rockenstire, Colin Carelli and the late Courtney Carelli; great-grandfather of Helena, Gabe, Avery and Hudson Hemendinger; brother of Alice Evans of Lee, MA, Anna Ellen Hurlbut of Williamstown, MA and the late Andrew and Thomas Nugent. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
The funeral service will be Friday at 11 am at the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home, 66 Armsby Road, Petersburgh with Rev. Kenneth Gregory officiating. Interment will follow in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Troy. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday from 4 to 7 pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Petersburgh Rescue Squad, PO Box 164, Petersburgh, NY 12138 or to the Grafton Rescue Squad, PO Box 2, Grafton, NY 12082.
Condolence book at ParkerBrosMemorial.com.