William J. McElhaney III

William James McElhaney, III

October 10, 1963 – August 2, 2024

William (Bill) James McElhaney, III, age 60, of Falmouth, MA passed away peacefully on August 2, 2024, after a short illness. Bill was a longtime resident of Harvard and Ayer, MA and served on the Harvard Fire Department for nearly 30 years. In 2017, Bill moved to Falmouth, MA to fulfill a lifelong dream of living near the ocean.

Bill was born in Beverly, MA to William James McElhaney, Jr. (deceased) and HelenAnn (Rich) McElhaney of Dennis, MA. He was raised in Harvard and graduated from Lawrence Academy in 1982 where he was the stage manager for many school theatre programs. Bill attended the University of Vermont where he was a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity. He graduated from UVM in 1986 with a BA in Agricultural Economics and Business Management.

After his graduation, Bill held customer service focused roles at Carlson Orchards, Monitor Group, Harvard Realty, Gosnold Treatment Center and Walpole Woodworkers. He most enjoyed his seventeen-year career as a Telecommunications Project Manager with Monitor Group. At this job he was able to fulfill one of his many ambitions—to travel the world—installing and administering communication systems in the company’s many international offices. Although he loved to travel, Bill was happiest spending time at home with his dogs and entertaining friends and family.

As a child, Bill enjoyed day trips to the beach. He loved swimming and sailing, and he shared a love of fishing with his father and brother, Mike. Bill was born with a love for all animals, training his first dog, a beagle named Peppy was a highlight of his childhood. He also loved skiing, enjoying the local and New England slopes, as well as the magnificent western mountains, where many family vacations took place.

As an adult, Bill learned woodworking and made beautiful tables, bowls and plates which he gave as gifts. He was an avid gardener of perennials in his yard and vegetables in his meticulously handcrafted raised beds. Bill was an exceptional cook; he showcased this talent at gatherings from casual backyard barbeques to elegant holiday parties, which he and his now deceased husband Chris hosted at their home. Bill’s life was full of love for his pets, lovingly caring for his three labrador retrievers, Madigan, Tremont and Xander.

Bill was kind, generous, funny, witty, and had a dry sense of humor with a sarcastic edge. He was quick to get the last word. Bill was also strong-willed, fiercely independent and lived his life on his own terms. He will be missed in so many ways.

In addition to his mother HelenAnn, Bill is survived by his sister Margaret (Meg) Hartwell and her husband Kevin of Ashland, MA, his brother Michael McElhaney and his wife Susan of Swansea, MA, his niece Jaimie Hartwell of Boston, MA, and his nephews Nolan, Kyle and Shane McElhaney of Swansea, MA. He is predeceased by his husband of ten years, Tracy “Christopher” Brandano, his father, William James McElhaney, Jr. and his grandparents William James and Agnes McElhaney and James and Helene Rich.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Bill’s dear friend, Kelly Joyce, for caring for Xander while he was in the hospital, and to the team at Falmouth Hospital who cared for Bill with compassion, from his admission in early July until his death.

Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Badger Funeral Home, 347 King Street Littleton, MA. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, at St. Theresa, The Little Flower Church, Holy Trinity Parish, 17 Still River Road, Route 110, Harvard, MA. Burial will follow at Bellevue Cemetery, Still River Road, Harvard, MA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Harvard Firefighters Association where Bill served as a firefighter and Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) coordinator. Donations made be mailed to the Harvard Firefighters Association, PO Box 613, Harvard, MA, 01451.