William L. Dennett

William L. “Bill” Dennett of York, Maine passed away peacefully on July 4, 2023 after a brief illness, with his wife, Cathie, and daughters, Amanda and Jenn, at his side and his son-in-law, Jonas, and granddaughter, Hannah, in his heart. He will be forever loved, remembered, and deeply missed by family and friends.

Bill, son of the late Carl A. and Anita F. Dennett, was born on February 2, 1943 at York Hospital in York, Maine. He was the eldest of five children. Bill attended York Schools and graduated from York High School in 1961. He joined the Work Study Program at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard after graduation. Over the course of the next 5 years, Bill worked in the Ship Silencing Division during his summer breaks from his Mechanical Engineering studies at the University of Maine, Orono. In 1966, upon graduating from UMO with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Bill returned to southern Maine and went to work full time at the Shipyard.

Bill met Cathie in 1975. They were married in the fall of 1976 and together they raised two daughters, Amanda and Jenn. Bill was an active, involved, and loving husband and dad. When his daughters were young he enjoyed being in charge of the bedtime routine. As the girls grew he enjoyed playing games with them, taking them fishing, and attending concerts, dance recitals, and sporting events not only when his daughters were students, but also when they were the teacher or coach. Through it all Cathie was with him; one was hardly ever seen without the other, whether attending events for their children, going out to breakfast, grocery shopping or running errands around town. The two continued with their love of family games into retirement with weekly Scrabble games on Sunday mornings. Along with being a husband and father, Bill thoroughly enjoyed his role as father-in-law and grandfather and loved spending time with his son-in-law, Jonas, and granddaughter, Hannah.

During his tenure at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Bill worked on many submarines and made many friends. He was always happy to tell tales of his travels and sea trials, and happier still to sit down to play cribbage every day during his lunch break. Upon his retirement in 1996, Bill was proud to share that he worked his entire career in the same office. Following his retirement, Bill had more time to invest in one of his favorite hobbies: keeping tropical fish. Not only did he tend to aquariums in his home, but he also volunteered his time setting up and tending to aquariums in the York schools. He eventually took on another job, working in the technology department of the York Public Schools, first working with students at Coastal Ridge Elementary School and then working as tech support for teachers throughout the district. He retired from this second career in 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed his full retirement.

Bill is survived by his wife, Cathie, and their children: Amanda, with her husband Jonas and their daughter Hannah; and Jenn. He is also survived by his siblings – Ann, with her husband, Bob; John, with his wife, Nancy; and Jean; two nieces and a nephew, a daughter from his previous marriage and her daughter. He was predeceased by his father, Carl; his mother, Anita; his brother, Alan; and his nephew, Timothy.

There will be a celebration of Bill’s life held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma society.

Bill’s family greatly appreciates all the support they have received from family and friends during this difficult time.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William L. Dennett, please visit our floral store.