William Norman Drysdale, Sr.

William N. Drysdale Sr., passed on June 10, 2022, at Danbury Hospital surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer.

Bill was many things: a banker, a business owner, an athlete, a traveler, a golfer; and most importantly, a loving son, brother, father, grandfather, and husband.

Bill was born in Chicago and spent his childhood in Scarsdale, New York — not far from where he would raise his own family in Valhalla, NY. Bill’s father passed away early in his life, and so, from an early age he became a caretaker. He took care of his mother and younger brother, Scott, and later his wife and their three children.

Graduating from Scarsdale High School in 1956, Bill was a stellar student and a star of the school's football and basketball teams. He was offered scholarships from several universities and ultimately attended Miami of Ohio, where he studied economics and business and joined the national fraternity, Delta Tau Delta.

Bill met his soulmate, Margaret Drysdale (then Margaret Sauers), when he was only 18 years old. Bill and Peggy, who was 16 at the time, were both counselors at Mohawk Day Camp in White Plains, NY. Peggy recalls meeting Bill under a large tree where counselors spent their free time after a long day chasing kids. Bill, unsurprisingly, took care of the 8-year-olds, as they were old enough to play sports with him.

Of the many gifts Bill passed along to his children and grandchildren, his love for sports is one of the most significant. He loved coaching his children's Little League and Pop Warner games, and later as they grew older, watching their high school and college field hockey, football, and baseball games. When his grandchildren picked up basketballs, pom poms, ballet shoes, footballs, and lacrosse sticks, “Pop” never missed a game or a show. His grandchildren were always front and center for him, and Pop enjoyed spending every minute he could with them. Any tribute to Bill Drysdale would also be remiss, of course, without mention of his love of golf later in life and the enjoyment he received by playing golf and spending this time with family and friends.

Off the field, Bill was a successful businessman. He grew to be a senior executive at many companies over the course of his career, notably Young & Rubicam, National Bank of Westchester (now Chase Manhattan Bank), and later President of several mid-size privately held businesses.

Bill was also one of those people who just picked things up easily, for example, the remodeling of the first house he and Peggy raised their children in with nothing but the help of a “Handyman’s Guidebook.” 

Bill and Peggy were married on September 10, 1960 and spent a wonderful 62 years of marriage exploring and enjoying each other’s company. They lived in Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Bill and Peggy eventually settled in Oxford, Connecticut six years ago and have loved the friends and sense of community they found there in Oxford Greens.

They traveled to Florida every winter for 22 years and to Maine every fall, making lifelong friends along the way. Some of the adventures they enjoyed most were when their whole family could join them.

Most of all, anyone who had the pleasure to know Bill remembers that he loved being with people. He knew everyone’s name, and they knew his. On his early morning trips to get coffee and run errands, he would engage in conversation and share stories with all those he met along the way.

Peggy described her husband best. “He was a kind man; he was a good man. He always took care of the people he loved.”

Bill will be lovingly remembered by his wife Margaret, children William Jr. (Laura), June and Robert (Kathleen), brother Scott (Christine), and grandchildren Reggie, Taylor, Bobby, Samantha, Kaitlyn, and Danny. He is predeceased by his parents, William N. Drysdale, and Florence M. Drysdale.

Friends and family will gather to honor and remember Bill on Monday, June 20 at a Celebration of Life Memorial Service from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, 235 Main Street North, Southbury, CT 06488. Burial will follow immediately at Mountain Meadows Cemetery, 117 Mountain Road, Seymour, CT 06483.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in memory of Bill to The American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org.

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