William Henry Sythes Sr.

William Henry Sythes went home to our Lord on July 20, 2024, as he finally lost his battle with congestive heart failure. Born on November 10, 1936, to John and Mary Sythes, Bill was a life-long New Yorker until he and his wife, Lorrie, retired to the Villages, Florida, in 1999. Bill served in the U.S. Army and was a graduate of the Army Language School. He worked for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The last ten years of his working life he spent with the Village of Rockville Centre. Bill met Lorrie, a Chicago girl, on a cruise they both happened to take in September 1968. They married in 1970 and subsequently had three children, building a life in Freeport, NY, on Long Island, where they lived for over 25 years. Retirement in the Villages allowed Bill the time to enjoy many different hobbies and interests. He and Lorrie loved to travel. They took cruises in Europe and the Caribbean, day trips around Florida, and traveled to different places in the U.S. to visit friends and family. For years, Bill played tennis 5-6 days a week. He was a talented craftsman when it came to needlework, crocheting many doilies, a bedspread, and his granddaughter’s baptismal gown. Upon retirement, Bill became even more devoted to his Catholic faith, attending daily mass and acting as a Eucharistic minister for those who could not come to mass themselves. Friends of Bill will remember his gregarious nature and booming laugh. They will also remember piercing blue eyes and a head of hair that remained thick and beautiful his entire life, though it did transition from black to white. His family remembers his financial wizardry, his love of reading and chess, his high standards, and his devotion. Bill was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Mary. He is survived by his beloved wife of almost 54 years, Lorrie, his children Bill, Jennifer, and Laura (Alfred), his grandchildren Dylan and Amelia, as well as nieces and nephews. Per the family’s request, there will be no wake or calling hours. Bill’s Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in the Villages on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 10am. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory can be made to the American Heart Association (www.https://www.heart.org) and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (www.ssvpusa.org).

William Henry Sythes Sr.

November 10, 1936 - July 20, 2024