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Obituary for William Thomas ‘Bill’ Shearer Bill Shearer, of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, died peacefully on Monday, March 9th 2015 at the Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester, three days after celebrating his 92nd birthday. Bill lived a full and well-travelled life and was at the center of a large and loving family, who will miss him greatly. Bill was born on March 6th, 1923, in Braddock, Pennsylvania, the son of the late Samuel Bridgeman Shearer and Elizabeth Sandacz Shearer. He grew up in Swissvale, Pennsylvania, with his sister, Eleanor. After graduating from Swissvale High School, Bill served as a Technician Fourth Grade (Sergeant) in the US Army Signal Corps during World War II in North Africa. After returning to the Pittsburgh area in 1946, Bill attended Duquesne University as a night student under the GI Bill and graduated in 1950 with a BS in Business Administration. He then moved to Paris, France, where he was based for 15 years working for Ideal Standard, the European subsidiary of American Standard. Initially an internal auditor, Bill later moved to a role in marketing. He travelled extensively throughout Western Europe throughout this period. In 1967, after a brief time working for American Standard in New York City, he moved to the Philadelphia area and lived in Ardmore until December 2014, when he moved to Rosemont Presbyterian Village. Working here initially for American Cement Company, in 1968 he set up his own business providing temporary help services from offices in Norristown, King of Prussia and West Chester, and retired in 1983. In 1953, he married Lesley Margaret Taylor, of London, England, with whom he had four children. She sadly pre-deceased him in 1963 and he returned to the US in 1965. In 1967 he married Carol Turner Vandersall, who taught for many years in Newtown Square. She pre-deceased him in 1996. Bill loved to travel, and had visited most of Europe, as well as Asia, North Africa and South and Central America. He was an avid reader. Bill was an active member and usher at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church for many years and before that at Ardmore Presbyterian, where he served as a deacon and trustee. He volunteered at Bryn Mawr Hospital for many years and had been active in the Rotary Club of Ardmore as well as a number of other organizations. He is survived by his dearest friend, Dorothy O’Day, his sons, William (Gavin Edwards) and Laurence Shearer (Lorraine McGarry), his daughters, Claire Reynolds (Bernard) and Annie Hinson (David), and a step-daughter, Marcia Guerrant (Stephen). He is also survived by two granddaughters, Taylor Reynolds and Abigail Hinson; four grandsons, Christopher Reynolds, Samuel Hinson, Samuel and Thomas Shearer; a step-grandson, David Guerrant; and a step-great-granddaughter, Brianna Guerrant. The service will be held in the Chapel at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr PA on Saturday April 18th, at 2PM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Neighborhood Hospice at 400 East Marshall Street, West Chester, PA 19380.

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William Thomas "Bill" Shearer

March 6, 1923 - March 9, 2015