Former Westhampton Beach and Quogue resident William C. McPike of Naples, Florida, died on Saturday, May 10, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 83.
Mr. McPike was born on October 28, 1924, in Bedford, Indiana. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Army Corps of Engineers.
He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Indiana University and began his career in the general counsel’s office at General Motors. He moved to Washington, D.C., where for more than 10 years he enjoyed an illustrious career while developing a love of the city and its culture.
While in Washington, he was deputy sergeant-at-arms in the U.S. Capitol before working in the antitrust department of the Justice Department. He moved on to the corporate sector as general counsel and vice president of Avis car rentals.
After leaving Avis, he was in private law practice with offices in Washington, D.C. and New York before retiring in 1992. In retirement, Mr. McPike spent many years traveling and visiting friends and loved ones with his second wife, Noel.
Survivors said this week that he will be remembered for his warmth, generosity and compassion as well as his keen intellect and sense of humor.
He is survived by two daughters, Barbra McPike of Florida and Sue Havens and her husband Marv of South Carolina; two brothers, Dr. Joseph David McPike of Indiana and Robert Paul McPike of Arizona; two grandsons, Lee and Brian Williamson; and a great-granddaughter, Brianna Williamson.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Jean Rowe McPike; his second wife, Noel Band Carter McPike; and two sisters, Joyce McPike and Mary Anne Odell.
A memorial service is planned for a later date in Bedford, Indiana, where he will be interred in the family plot. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Muller-Thompson Funeral Chapel in Naples, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018 would be appreciated by the family.
on May 27, 2008