William H. Faron - Obituary

illiam Henry Faron, 75, of Annapolis, MD, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2023. As a testament to both his physical and mental strength, Bill outlasted all expectations after receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis 15 years ago. Born in Traverse City, MI on August 15, 1947, Bill inherited his love of nature and the outdoors from his grandparents. He always shared fond memories of spending time as a boy fishing on the lake with family and friends. Before being deployed to Vietnam as a hospital corpsman, Bill met the love of his life, Elizabeth. The two exchanged letters throughout his tour; he returned to her, and they married in July of 1969. Bill served in the Navy and Marines from 1966-1970, earning a Bronze Star, a Navy Achievement medal, and an honorable discharge. He then began a career at Bristol Myers-Squibb that spanned 32 years until his retirement in 2002. Bill started out at the company as a warehouse employee, earned his bachelor’s degree taking night classes at Medaille University in Buffalo, and eventually ascended to the executive level, where he led company-wide initiatives that spanned continents. It was Bill’s lifelong dream to have his own place in the country. He was able to fulfill that dream of exploring 30 acres, his little piece of heaven, in Angelica, NY. He would head out into the woods and say to Elizabeth, “I’m off to church now. See you later!” Always calm and quick-witted, even in his final days, people sought him for his ear and advice. Bill is survived by his wife of 54 years, Elizabeth; his daughter, Heather Frantz and her husband Ryan of Arnold; his grandchildren, Jacob R. and Hailey E. Frantz; his sister Becky Richardson and her husband Dana; his niece Kelly Ann Richardson, of Mesa, Arizona; and his sister Peggy Faron, of Chandler, AZ. Friends are invited to celebrate Bill’s life on Friday, August 25 from 2 to 4 PM at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials in Bill’s name be directed to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741. Online condolences may be left for the family by visiting the Memories link on this page.