William Watmough Goldsborough

William "Bill" Goldsborough, 73, of Gaylord, Michigan, passed from this life to be with his Lord on Monday, April 13, at Aspen Ridge Retirement Village following a five-year battle with Lewy Body Dementia.

Bill was born on September 2, 1952, in Baltimore, Maryland, to C. Fenner and Elizabeth Watmough Goldsborough. He, along with his younger siblings, Brice and Jean, grew up in Owings Mills, Maryland. As a teenager, Bill moved to Long Lake, New York, a small town in the central Adirondack Mountains, to attend high school. While there, he met fellow classmate, Deborah Chellis, and they became close friends. After graduating from Long Lake Central School, Bill joined the U.S. Navy and served aboard the U.S.S. Orion stationed in Charleston, South Carolina. Bill and 'Debbie' were married on January 12, 1974, and made their home in Charleston. When his tour of duty was complete, they relocated to Hammond, Indiana, where Bill attended Bible College graduating in 1983 with a degree in Pastoral Theology. Bill was devoted to his family and to ministry. He served as pastor of a church plant, Northwoods Baptist Church in Malone, New York, and in three different ministries in Northern Michigan: Bethel Baptist Church in Manistique, Rogers City Baptist Church, in Rogers City, and Grace Baptist College in Gaylord. Bill simply loved people, and he lived his life seeking to connect the people he loved to the Lord he loved. He enjoyed playing guitar and singing Scripture songs, and he used his musical abilities to minister in his classes, nursing facilities, and jails and prisons throughout Northern Michigan. Throughout his life Bill memorized large portions of the Scriptures, and even when dementia stole his ability to read and write, he quoted the Scriptures to encourage himself and others. He was ever learning and growing and eventually authored his book, A Matter of Death and Life, to share what he had learned with others.

Bill enjoyed recreating outdoors. From the countryside of Maryland to the Adirondack Mountains to the Upper Peninsula to Northern Michigan you could find him fishing, sailing, canoeing, hiking, skiing, and exploring. As a young man and well into his senior years, he enjoyed playing soccer, basketball, tennis, and cycling with his family and friends.

Bill and Debbie prayed for a family and were blessed with four sons to share in their adventures: Jeremy (Stephanie) of Petoskey, MI, Jay (Christine) of Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Curtis (Kimberlee) of Wolverine, MI, and Wesley (Rachel) of Fresno, CA. They are Grampie and Grammie to eleven amazing grandchildren: Landon (Eryca), Riley, Conner, Marshall, Serenity, Lydia, Hunter, Zachary, Dylan, Cohen, and Eliana. Last year their first great-grandchild, Lake, joined the Goldsborough clan. Bill loved his family dearly.

Bill is survived by his wife and sons, his brother Brice (Denise) Goldsborough of Burlington, VT, his sister Jean (Annie Rubright) Goldsborough of Reading, VT, his brother and sister-in-law John and Cynthia Sawaya of Traverse City, MI, and nieces Melissa Sawaya of Hoboken, NJ, and Monica Resch, of Louisville, KY. He was pre-deceased by his mother, Elizabeth W. Goldsborough, his father, C. Fenner Goldsborough, and his stepmother, Joann Goldsborough.

Funeral services will be held at Grace Baptist Church of Gaylord on Friday, April 24th. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. The service will be live-streamed.

The family would like to thank the many people who have guided and supported them throughout Bill's dementia journey: the Boyne City LBD Support Group, Dr. Steven Wisniewski, Pastor Derek Hagland and the people of Grace Baptist Church, the Otsego County Commission on Aging, the Palliative and Hospice caregivers, and the staff at Aspen Ridge. Their encouragement, support, and loving care were invaluable and so appreciated.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Grace Baptist Church of Gaylord.

Please share your memories and personal messages with the family on his guestbook below