William J. Menardi

William J. Menardi passed away peacefully on Sunday, Sept 4, 2016 in the caring community at Bey Lea Assisted Living in Toms River, NJ. He was born September 5, 1922 in Bogota, NJ. He is survived by his sister, Ruth (Sister Mary Amalia) of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Wilton,CT; his children, Linda Lee of Toms River, Diane Boyle (and husband Mike) of Forked River, Myles Menardi (and wife Julie) of Souderton, PA, and William Menardi (and companion Tamara) of Ashland, OR. He is also survived by 4 grandchildren (Allison, Dillon, Ryan and Myles) and a new great grandson (Finnegan). Bill lived a full and diversified life. He was a proud World War II veteran, serving in the Army Air Corp as an aviation cadet. Prior to that enlistment, he was a Technical Representative for Douglas Aircraft, serving in the Middle East and Africa. He never tired of telling stories of his time serving and the men he befriended. After his time in the service, Bill owned a bar/restaurant, Joe Codones, in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. After he sold that, he worked in the Engineering Dept of Kearfott Aeronautical & Navigation. When he moved to Toms River, he opened his own music studio, became a real estate agent and later worked for the Seagrams distillery firm as a liquor salesman until his retirement. Bill loved to sing (he could harmonize like a pro) and music always filled the house (he still had his orchestra baton from 50 years ago). He was an excellent golfer. He his own roulette gambling “system” and organized many trips to Las Vegas for the Cedar Glen West Retirement Community. He loved to cook (there was no such thing as too much garlic). Bill was a “people person”. He was very charismatic and could easily command the attention in any room. Those that knew Bill, will most remember his sharp wit, dry sense of humor, and the confident way he carried himself. Bill will be interred at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Arneytown, NJ at which time there will be a private family service. The Menardi family would like to extend their gratitude to the staff at Bey Lea Village Assisted Living for their loving care, patience and personal attention.