William I. "Bill" Wingate

HUDSON - William I. "Bill" Wingate, 77, passed away on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, at the Dorchester General Hospital in Cambridge.

He was born in Cambridge on Nov. 24, 1929, and was a son of the late Alfred Baldwin and Marie Dail Wingate.

Bill attended schools at Hudson and graduated from Cambridge High School in 1946. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946, and was a radio operator on the destroyer class USS Warrington and was honorably discharged in 1954.

On Nov. 30, 1950, he was married to the former Joan Patricia Marshall. He became a tradesman in masonry construction and worked with Allen Tyler & Sons. He eventually started his own masonry business, which he operated until he retired in 1998.

Mr. Wingate was a member of Spedden United Methodist Church and was also a member of the Neck District Volunteer Fire Co. He served many years with the Lions Club, and was a past board member of Dorchester General Hospital and had served three four-year terms on the Dorchester County Council, from 1978-1990.

He was a community minded person. Since his retirement, he enjoyed spending his time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Mr. Wingate also loved gardening and caring for all of the wild birds. He had been in failing health for the past several months, and had been a patient at the Dorchester General Hospital for the past three weeks.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Joan M. Wingate of Hudson; a daughter, Joanne W. Nabb and her husband, George Nabb of Cambridge; two sons, Marshall Wingate of Cambridge and Steve Wingate and his wife, Lisa of Cambridge; two special grandchildren, Brandon Wingate and Meghan Wingate; a sister, Mary Jane Barnes of Cambridge; a brother-in-law, David Marshall Sr. and his wife, Shirley Marshall. He is also survived by three stepgrandchildren, Bryan Nabb, Scott Nabb and David Nabb and his wife, Wendy Nabb; seven stepgreat-grandchildren, Bryan, Jenalee, Hunter, Carter and Andrew Nabb, Andrea Bell and Maggi Jo Holcheck. He is also survived by three nephews, Jon Barnes, David Marshall Jr. and Tim Marshall; three special aunts, Mickey Dail, Luella Dail and Mildred Seward and one uncle, Jack McClain and many special cousins, three same as grandchildren, Brittany, Tyler and Hillary Marshall, also three very special friends Winchester, Mason and Cappy.

Besides his parents and grandparents he was preceded in death by an aunt, Dorothy McClain; two uncles, Melvin Dail and Herbert Dail; a brother-in-law, Reed Barnes and a nephew, Ronald Barnes.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Spedden United Methodist Church with the Rev. Don Schell and the Rev. Delmer Willey officiating. Burial will follow at Spedden Seward Cemetery. The family will receive friends during the hour preceding the service.

Pallbearers will be Brandon Wingate, David Marshall, Tim Marshall, Steve Barnes, Art Wheatley and T. Sewell Hubbert. Honorary bearers will be David Marshall Sr., Jon Barnes, John V. Lewis, H. Clark Elzey, Odus Moore, Dutch Weber and Radcliffe Wheatley.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Spedden United Methodist Church, c/o Carolyn Wright, 507 Gay St., Cambridge, MD 21613 or to the Neck District Volunteer Fire Company, 945 Cooks Point Road, Cambridge, MD 21613.

Funeral arrangements are in the care of Thomas Funeral Home, P.A. in Cambridge.