Obituary of William H. Squier

William Henry Squier, a master engineer and avid recreational pilot from West Bloomfield, died tragically in a tractor accident at his farm on the evening of August 7, 2009. Born April 2, 1947 in East Rochester, the son of Henry and Marian Squier, Bill's talent for problem solving and mechanical ability became recognized early on. In 1965 he won the state championship for the General Motors Plymouth Trouble Shooting Contest. Flown to Detroit by GM, he went on to win the National Master "Tech" Award. Bill attended Clarkson University and graduated in 1970. Bill began his career at Rochester Products as an engineer, where he led Quality Control, Test Machine Design and other positions with increasing responsibility for over 20 years. His Engineering career included employment with Kodak, PeKo Products, and Perkin-Elmer. He most recently worked at the General Motors Hydrogen Cell Facility and was very excited about working on new technologies. While at Clarkson, he met JoAnn Jacobs. They were married in 1971 in Blue Mtn. Lake, NY. By 1976, Bill had built their house and horse barn in West Bloomfield. Their daughter, Elizabeth was born in 1982. Bill shared his love of flying, motorcycles and adventure with her, and took great pride in teaching her to both ride and fly. An avid pilot, Bill was both an officer and Chief Mechanic for the Artisan Flying Club for many years. He has multiple airplane ratings, including Flight Instructor and Airplane Mechanic. He salvaged and rebuilt a 'crashed' Piper Arrow 180 in the basement of his home in 1991, and returned it to the flight line a year later, using it for many adventures. His enthusiasm for flying was something he shared, encouraging young people and giving them introductory flights. He was a volunteer with the Rochester CAP program, participated in the Young Eagles, and angel of mercy flights. Much-loved for his generous community spirit, Bill was always one that the neighborhood turned to. Whether it was plowing driveways, pumping out cellars, or fixing cars, Bill was always the first to help. During the ice storm of 1991, in addition to helping the neighborhood, Bill helped repair and maintain generators in local nursing homes, to keep necessary equipment operating. A great leader, partner, educator and friend, Bill's wry sense of humor, and intelligent perceptions will be missed by all. He is survived by his mother, Marion (Peg) Squier, his sister Carol (David) Howland, his wife JoAnn and daughter Elizabeth (Peter) Crowley as well as his nephews and nieces and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Friends may call Monday, August 10, 2009 from 7-9 pm and Tuesday, August 11, from 2-4 and 7-9 pm at the Merton H. Kays Funeral Home, Inc. 59 Monroe Street, Honeoye Falls. His Funeral Mass will be held Wednesday, August 12 at 11 am at St. Mary's Church, Honeoye. Memorials may be made to Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, 601 Elmwood Ave. Rochester, NY 14642; West Bloomfield Fire Department, PO Box 24, West Bloomfield, NY 14585; Mercy Flight Central, 2420 Brickyard Road, Canandaigua, NY 14424 or the Civil Air Patrol, Fingerlakes Chapter, 1305 Scottsville Road, Rochester, NY 14624.