Obituary of William L. Ayrer

William L. Ayrer 97, of Vineland, passed away on Monday, October 3rd, 2016. William was born October 13th, 1918 in San Jose, California to the late Ella Mable and William A. Ayrer; he was the youngest of seven children. At the age of three, William, his father William, and his older sister Thelma moved to New Jersey, where he was raised by his father and his aunt Maggie. William, or Bill as he was known to friends and family, served in the US Navy during WWII. During his time in the Navy, Bill was a hard hat diver in Bermuda and was a member of The Seabee's in the Pacific Theater. Upon returning to Millville after an honorable discharge from the service in 1945, Bill took up carpentry, a craft he learned from his father. He would spend the next 75 years as a union carpenter, working his way up and down the east coast from Connecticut to Florida and all the way out west, in California. On August 4th, 1948, Bill married the love of his life, Doris T. Orsino (nee Cheeseman) in Las Vegas Nevada. They would spend the next several years traveling all around the country, before they settled in Pennsylvania and later settling permanently in New Jersey. They had two children together, William T. Ayrer and Jack R. Ayrer. Every weekend was spent at the horse races or fishing at Union Lake in Millville. Once the casinos opened in Atlantic City, Bill and Doris made them their second home. To Bill, family was always first. The needs of his children, his grandchildren, and his great grandchildren were above all. He was always there to get someone off a school bus, or watch over a child who was home sick from school. In his later years after the death of his wife in 2003; Bill lived with his youngest son Jack and daughter-in-law Susan, and while living there his age did not stop him from cutting the grass, shoveling snow, assisting with home renovations, or cooking stuffed shells for the family. He could always be found in the fields with his companion Atticus, the family dog. Whether it was raining, snowing, or 95 degrees with a glaring sun overhead, the two were always out for a daily walk. Whenever Bill could find an ear, he would tell stories of his travels and of the war, or complain about his "old-age-itis. There are not enough words to describe Bill's work ethic, or his dedication to his family. Bill is predeceased by his loving wife Doris, and his son Jack. Bill is survived by his son, William (Denise) and his daughter-in-law Susan. He was a beloved grandfather to Andrew, Christian, Jennifer (Craig), Alexandra, Melissa, Meredith (Tyrone), and Brenna. He was great-grandfather to Shelby, Kaleigh, Serena, Jacob, Joshua, Layla, Declan, Robert, and Anthony. Bill was a humble man who lived a simple life. It was his last request that there would be no services, and his family has chosen to honor that. Arrangements are by DeMarco-Luisi Funeral Home 2755 S. Lincoln Ave., Vineland, NJ. Memories, thoughts and prayers may be extended to the family by visiting dlfuneral.com