William (Bill) Horrigan, 88, passed away peacefully surrounded by members of his loving family on Monday, March 2, 2026, at home. Bill was born in Gardner, Massachusetts to William and Ella Horrigan. Bill is predeceased by his parents and his siblings Paul Horrigan, Ann Roth, and Brian Horrigan.

Bill is survived by his son Michael and his wife Linda and their children Kelly and Billy of Avon Connecticut; his daughter Cheryl Vieira and her husband Anthony of Dennis Massachusetts and their sons Christian, Christian’s wife Sarah and their three girls Ava, Riley, and Harper in Santa Ana California and Joshua of Brooklyn New York; his daughter Lynne Gorsuch and her husband Brian of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts and their daughters Kailey and Emily.

Born in Gardner Massachusetts, Bill graduated from Gardner High School and then served honorably in the United States Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician, 2nd class serving in an antisubmarine helicopter squadron. Bill later received his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Haven in New Haven Connecticut. It was after the Navy that he met Carol Hultin, a nursing student at Henry Heywood Memorial Hospital in his home town of Gardner Massachusetts. Married in 1964, they remained together for 59 years supporting and caring for each other, their family, and their friends. Their marriage was a strong union based on both true love and respect for each other.

After marriage, Bill and Carol settled in Connecticut and started their family and careers. Bill worked at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford Connecticut for 35 years where he went from working on the assembly line to manager of product integrity administration. Carol was a nurse at Griffin Hospital in Derby Connecticut.

In addition to his career, Bill loved the outdoors including skiing, hiking, and more. Bill and Carol often travelled throughout New England and beyond to various places around the United States, Ireland, and Scotland. In 1996, Bill and Carol both retired to Dennis Massachusetts where they enjoyed having family and friends visit in summer and holidays. Bill was active in various organizations on Cape Cod. His passion for skiing led him to join the Cape Cod Ski club from which he met many great friends that enjoyed not only ski trips throughout New England but also kayaking and hiking around Cape Cod. Bill was also passionate about the environment on the Cape and would spend late fall every year rescuing stranded sea turtles on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay. Bill also was certified as a volunteer for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) where he assisted in dolphin and whale strandings on the Cape. In addition, Bill worked for several years as a volunteer on the Dennis water quality commission. He was a communicant at Our Lady of the Cape Catholic church in Brewster, Massachusetts.

Bill made many great friends while living on Cape Cod through his activities and valued his friendships both old and new. In addition to his friends Bill enjoyed an annual summer week where his brother-in-law David, his children, and his grandchildren would all visit together to spend days enjoying each other’s company, food, Guinness, and the beauty of Cape Cod. Bill loved all his children, every one of his six grandchildren and his three great-granddaughters. He often stated that being a grandfather was “the best job in the world”. They in turn loved him back. At Bill’s request, there will be no calling hours.

A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, March 19, at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of the Cape Catholic Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, Brewster, Massachusetts. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you kindly consider donating to International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org).

The Bill Horrigan that we knew was an active happy man who enjoyed being with and helping family and friends. We enjoyed spending time together at our grandsons' graduations in California and Pennsylvania. Bill will be greatly missed.

Dear family of William, I am very sorry to hear of Billy's death. I am from Prince Edward Island. His mother, Ella Horrigan, and my father, Jimmie Griffin, were brother and sister. As a young person I remember Billy, Brian and Anne coming to the Island with their parents to visit with us. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you at this sad time.

My dear Uncle 'Duck' I will miss our conversations and your words of encouragements- Your upbeat attitude, and hopes for a brighter day. I know you are reunited with Carol & our family now. Godspeed