NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — William "Will" Martin Boland Jr., passed away peacefully after a brief illness at Cambridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Fairfield, Conn., on March 9, 2021. He was 57 years old.
Will was born on Oct. 20, 1963, in Cocoa Beach, Fla., where his father was stationed with the Navy. Will was the first child born to William Martin Boland Sr. and Elizabeth Ann Sullivan Boland. He had three siblings: Kevin, Molly (Luczynski) and Michael.
Will's family moved back to North Adams in 1973 and he grew up in a tight knit circle of family and friends. Will honored his family's heritage and history in North Adams and took great pride in the accomplishments of his father and grandfather in local business and politics. Will valued the friendships he developed as a young man while attending public school in North Adams. His group of friends were loyal confidantes throughout high school as well as when he left the area to pursue academic and professional endeavors.
Will was a hard worker and had jobs as a delivery boy for the former North Adams Transcript and as a caddy at Taconic Golf Course from a young age. Will and his younger brother Kevin auditioned and got the parts in the play
"Abe Lincoln in Illinois" as the late president's sons for a summer at Williamstown Theatre Festival in the mid-1970s.
Will's work ethic and intelligence translated to success in his academic achievements. He graduated summa cum laude from Drury High School in 1982. He was an honors student at Hartwick College, where he graduated in 1986 with a degree in business policy. He went on to obtain his master in business administration and finance from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in 1992.
Will valued etiquette and decorum. He was a proper person, in both his speech and his manners. His interests were varied, and he had depth. He took the time to learn about a variety of subjects that interested him, and it was important for him to do things correctly. He always felt if you were going to do something, then do it correctly. He was intelligent, courteous and very well read. He enjoyed debating and discussing topics ranging from politics and religion to popular culture. Will was a complex thinker and a deliberate speaker.
Will's greatest source of pride was by far the joy he experienced as a loving father to his two daughters Emma and Claudia. Both his daughters possess Will's drive, intellect, warmth and humor. They have individually proven to be very successful in academic and business endeavors and now reside in New York City.
Besides his daughters, Will leaves his former wife, Susan Frank Boland of Bridgeport, Conn.; his mother, Elizabeth Sullivan Boland of North Adams; his brother Michael and his wife, Jennifer, of North Adams and numerous nieces and nephews. Will also leaves his longtime significant other, Kathleen "Alyssa" Hill. Alyssa and Will made their home in Connecticut for the past eight years with their dog Moca.
Will was predeceased by his brother Kevin in 2004, his father, Bill, in 2010 and his sister, Molly, in 2017.
FUNERAL NOTICE: Calling hours for Will Boland will take place Friday, March 19, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by a celebration of Will's life at the Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North
Adams. Burial will take place at 1 p.m. at the Boland Plot at Southview Cemetery.
Memorial donations are suggested in his memory to the Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.