William Edward Tuffy

William "Bill" Edward Tuffy, age 78, of Leesburg, Florida passed away on March 29, 2020. He was preceded in death by his brother John Keene and his two sisters Patricia Mullins and Eileen Curtain. He is survived by his wife Lucille Tuffy; children, William Tuffy III of Hillsdale New Jersey; Devin Tuffy of Olympia Washington; and Shawn Tuffy of Ocoee Florida; and his four grandchildren Aidan, Brenna, Joslyn, and Eko. Bill's jovial manner, laugh and smile were always enjoyed by those around him. He enjoyed dancing, transistor radios, signing autographs as 'Benny Hill', travel, Bud Light, socializing with his many friends. A once distraught Brooklyn Dodgers fan upon their move to the West coast, Bill went on to adopt the New York Mets as his home team. Bill was always ready with an awful dad joke. Whether asking neighborhood kids if they "had heard about the three holes in the ground? Well, well, well...", telling his kids that "I went to San Francisco once, but it was closed..." or his infamous "Pizza delivery to the Pope" story. Bill was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 23rd 1942 to William and Mary Tuffy (nee Banasic). He graduated from the notable Boys High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant in 1959 and promptly enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He served 3 years active duty, mostly in a Signal Battalion in, what was then, West Germany. Upon release from active duty, he worked briefly at the Hoffman Beverage Company before starting a long career in the Bell System from where he retired in 2002. His love for his country and always one to lead a hand in times of need, Bill extended his Bell career to help New York recover from the devastating attacks of September 11th. In 1966, Bill married his long time sweetheart Lucille in a ceremony at the First Italian Baptist Church in Brooklyn. Together they moved to Seaford, Long Island to raise a family. In 2015, Bill and Lucille left Seaford, for Leesburg Florida for new adventures and to enjoy an active retirement. Due to recent world events, a small private service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday, April 6th, at Beyer Funeral Home in Leesburg, Florida. Visitation is limited to no more than 10 people at a time. A private burial will be at the Florida National Cemetery , again due to current restrictions, the interment is closed to the public . To celebrate Bill's life, a memorial service will also be held at a later date to share memories, fun stories and remember a man who touched so many of our lives.

William Edward Tuffy

February 23, 1942 - March 29, 2020