William Close Hendry, Jr, 84, of Richmond Hill, GA lost his battle with Parkinson's Disease on May 1, 2022.

Bill is survived by his wife of 65 years, Helen, of Richmond Hill, GA, of whom he loved deeply.  They met, instantly fell in love, and were married in Bar Harbor, ME.

He leaves a huge hole in the hearts of his family and friends, who were always entertained by his stories and hilarious sense of humor. He truly brought the life to the party.

William (Bill) was born on January 18, 1938, to William and Mary Hendry in Pittsburgh, PA.  Bill's parents immigrated from Larkhall, Scotland.  As a first generation American, Bill was extremely proud of his Scottish heritage.

He joined the US Coast Guard in 1954 and was a standout naval engineer. He served on many Coast Guard cutters from Maine to Alaska to Florida and locations in between including on an icebreaker that circumnavigated the globe. He retired in 1979 as CWO4(Eng) after a distinguished career.

Bill earned a Merchant Mariner license as Chief Engineer (unlimited horsepower) and took a career position with Colonial Oil in Savannah, GA as the leader of their Chatham Towing division. He advanced to Vice President of Operations and operated all aspects of a busy company of tow boats and fuel barges, retiring from there at age 59.

Bill and Helen then enjoyed a wonderful resort community near St. Augustine, FL; Coquina Crossing.  They established many lasting friendships and enthusiastically participated in the many and exciting activities and programs.  As ardent adventurers, Bill and Helen loved to camp with an RV, of which they had many different models throughout the years.  They frequently traveled the United States and took root at times for extended periods summering in Mt. Desert, ME, Old Orchard Beach, ME and Hendersonville, NC always to return to Florida.

He was beloved by everyone who ever met him, was a fantastic father, a great husband, and a best friend to all walks of life.

He is also survived by his sons William and Robert (Ina) and daughters Sandra Matt (Michael) and Kathy Fairchild (Douglas).  His grandchildren are Dr. Robert Hendry (Sydney), Michael (Nicolle) and in memory of Alex.  His Great Grandchildren are Ellory and Larkin Hendry.

He leaves behind his sister Jean Wynn, brother Malcolm (Nancy) and sister Mary Panza (Frank); nephew Hollis Wynn (Vicky) and niece Nancy Wynn, nephews John Mattarochia (Christina), Robert Hendry (Jamie) and niece Angela Tunstall (Mike) and nephews Frank and Brent Panza.

He also leaves behind his special cousins Georgie, May and Jeanette (the flowers of Scotland) and special friend Davie Gibson.

If you wish to donate in honor of Bill, please consider donating to the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA).

Sincere appreciation to Hospice Savannah for their excellent care and compassion when we needed it most.

A memorial service with military honors will be held at 12:00 p.m., Friday, May 6, 2022 at Richmond Hill Funeral Home.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.