OTISFIELD — William Joseph “Bill” McCoy Jr., 70, passed away Wednesday, April 12, 2017.

He was born to William Joseph McCoy Sr. and Rita Roslyn McCoy on Dec. 29, 1946, in Providence, R.I.

Known as Bill or Billy, his life was full of love, joking, and laughing with family and friends in Maine and Rhode Island. He attended high school at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, R.I. Billy met his wife, Pat, while working with her at the Newport Creamery when they were both 17 years old. As a young man, he was known for pulling pranks and recounting the stories to friends.

He joined the Navy in 1968 and was stationed at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, where Bill and Pat first experienced living in Maine, delighting in the state's quiet and beauty. While in the Navy, Bill was joined by Pat in Spain for an adventure, where he took many candid photos and compiled an album of people of Spain. Bill graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 1973, where he majored in psychology.

Bill and Pat were house parents for Spurwink in Portland, in the early 1970s, and then moved back to Rhode Island where they had their first two children, Liam and Melanie. When Melanie was an infant, they moved to Casco, where Bill joined Spurwink's Edgefield School as the director from 1977 to 1980. Bill then served as executive director of the Pottle Works (Pottle Hill, Inc) in Mechanic Falls, and the W.T. Twarog Center in Auburn from 1980 until he retired in 2007. Bill had the fortune of satisfying his passion of helping people with disabilities throughout his career and demonstrated care and respect for all through his work. While at the Pottle Works, he started the Pottle Hill Road Race, "New England's Toughest 10K”.

Bill and Pat had their third child, Stephanie, in 1986. Their home was in Otisfield, where Bill enjoyed ice fishing and boating on Thompson Lake. He loved to drive large cars from the 1970s, and work on the house.

In 1993, Bill was elected president of the Maine Association of Rehabilitation Services. He was also a past president of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Oxford Hills Vocational School Board, and a member of the Oxford American Legion. Bill enjoyed participating in a study committee for the town of Otisfield.

He loved the ocean and dove into the waves for a "dip" whenever he had the opportunity, regardless of the water temperature. He also enjoyed camping in Maine and Canada, where the family vacationed for many summers. Bill spent free time doing crossword puzzles, reading, and playing cribbage, gin, and gin rummy with friends and family. He was a master of trivia. Bill loved golfing and was a member of Poland Spring Country Club for many years, where he was referred to by the staff as "The Three-Wheel Wonder" because of his unique golf cart.

Bill enjoyed taking vocal lessons at The Denmark Arts Center from Lillian Morse. He made progress toward his goals of mastering singing Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers and playing Bennie and the Jets by Elton John on the piano. Family and friendships were the most important part of Bill's life.

Bill encountered several health challenges over the past 10 years and exhibited considerable strength, always fighting to get better and never complaining.

He will be deeply missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings and their spouses, many nieces and nephews and their children, and all the friends and neighbors he had throughout his life in both Maine and Rhode Island.

Bill is survived by his mother, Rita Roslyn McCoy; wife, Patricia McCoy; his son, Liam McCoy of Cape Elizabeth; his daughter, Melanie Gilligan of Scarborough; and his daughter, Stephanie Mulligan of Lincoln. Bill is also survived by his four sisters, Mary Scannell of North Providence, R.I., Ann Sullivan of Narragansett, R.I., Elizabeth Santomaro of Providence, R.I., and Patricia Rinaldi of Bristol, R.I.; and two brothers, Joseph McCoy of No. Providence, R.I., and John McCoy of Boston, Mass.

A memorial service for Bill will be held Saturday, April 22, at 11 a.m., at the Cornerstone Gospel Church at 25 Sebago Rd., in Naples. Visiting hours will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, April 21, at Hall Funeral Home at 165 Quaker Ridge Rd., in Casco. Online condolences may be left for the family at: hallfuneralhome.net. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Preble Street Development Department, 38 Preble Street, Portland, ME 04101. Online condolences may be expressed at www.hallfuneralhome.net