William Edward Pursley, of Lexington, MA and formerly of Ridgewood, NJ, May 5, 2024.

William (Bill), 89, passed away peacefully after living five years with chronic dementia and aphasia. Bill was the son of William Dorworth Pursley and Margaret (Heyes) Pursley, born in Newark, NJ and grew up in Bloomfield, NJ. He is predeceased by his parents, his brother, Robert D. Pursley and wife, Helen A. (Prebola) Pursley.

Bill graduated from Bloomfield High School and then earned a Certificate in Aircraft Engine Mechanics from Teterboro School of Aeronautics. He served three years in the U.S. Navy and attained the rank of an Aviation Machinist's Mate Petty Officer 2nd Class, then continued to serve another five years in the U.S. Navy Reserves. He was proud of his military service and it influenced him for the rest of his life. He was an avid student of aviation and military history as well as "all things cars": dismantling, maintaining and repairing them as well as studying them in books, magazines and at auto shows.

He was especially talented at troubleshooting and solving problems, a skill he used in his career and in his many home improvement projects. After his military service, he earned an Associate's Degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology with a Certificate in Electrical Technology and worked as an Instrument Technician at ERE Laboratory, Hewlett-Packard, and Ciba Specialty Chemicals over the next 30 years.

He married Helen Prebola and settled in Ridgewood, NJ where they lived for 50 years and raised two daughters. He was passionate about music, and he shared his love and appreciation for it with his family. After retirement he enjoyed traveling the world with Helen and his family, working on his many home projects, and helping to care for his four granddaughters.

Bill is survived by his daughters, Diane Pursley (husband Curt Wu) and Darlene McAvoy (husband Paul McAvoy); and granddaughters, Lauren Wu, Veronica Wu, Olive McAvoy, and Pascale McAvoy.

The family would like to express its sincere appreciation to all the staff at Winchester Nursing Center for their kindness, support, and care for Bill during his stay.

A funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 1 Passaic St., in Ridgewood, NJ, on Thursday, June 20, at 9:00 AM. Interment to follow at George Washington Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to American Brain Foundation (www.americanbrainfoundation.org).