William G. Schellhardt DOVER - William G. Schellhardt, 81, of Dover, died Tuesday, May 11, 2010, following a tenacious battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a man for whom family meant everything and whose absence from the whirl of activity produced by such a close-knit clan will be profoundly felt. Born Oct. 26, 1928, in Philadelphia, Bill was the son of the late Max Karl and Anna Schellhardt. Following his marriage in 1949 and service in the Army during the Korean War, he moved to Dover in 1956, not long after he went to work as a salesman for Nabisco. Bill quickly fell in love with life on the Delmarva Peninsula and all it had to offer. Its woods, marshes and waterways nurtured his soul and exposed him to a host of outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing and crabbing, all of which he pursued for the rest of his life. He derived such immense pleasure from seeing his family and friends gathered around a table full of his prized steamed blue crabs that he would happily set off before daybreak to catch a bushel or more for that evening's spread. Bill committed to other undertakings that he believed were important. He was deeply involved in the early years of the State Street campus of Holy Cross Church and School; he was instrumental in establishing the former Dover Little League complex on Horsepond Road, and he was a strong supporter of the Delaware Veterans Post #2. Both family and friends knew him to be fiercely loyal and a man of his word. Bill could always be counted on in times of need. He was gregarious and friendly, a person who enjoyed spending time in the company of others. He took great pleasure from simple things, such as sipping Jack Daniels while smoking a cigar with his sons, or watching his beloved Phillies on an old TV in his garage while baiting a trotline. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Betty Schellhardt, a woman whom he loved as much after 60 years of marriage as he did the day they wed. He took pride in her as a wife and mother. They were true life partners who supported each other in everything that they did. In their retirement, Bill and Betty delighted in traveling and spending time with their extensive family, especially their annual winter sojourn to Orange Park, Fla. Other survivors include eight children, Betty S. Long and husband David Parsons, of Richmond, Va., Bill Schellhardt Jr. and wife Pattie of Atlanta, Ga., Jean Schellhardt of Magnolia, Del., Joan Wheeling of Salisbury, Md., David Schellhardt and wife Terri of Clarksburg, Md., Karl Schellhardt and wife Josie of Point of Rocks, Md., Maggie Young and husband Gary of Delmar, Md., and Mary Maloney and husband Rob of Charles Town, W.Va.; two sisters, Margaret Henderson of Glenside, Pa., and Helen Knuttel of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; 27 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. The family wishes to thank Delaware Hospice, and especially CNA, Don Boucek, for the compassionate care provided over the past month. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 22, at Holy Cross Church, 631 S. State Street in Dover. The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the church. Following the service, friends and family will gather at Delaware Veterans Post #2, 720 Pear Street, Dover. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy should take the form of contributions to Holy Cross Church or Delaware Hospice. Trader Funeral Home is assisting the family.