William “Bill” Fassuliotis, beloved husband of Despina Fassuliotis for 69 years, passed away on May 11, 2022 at the age of 97.
Born July 25, 1924 to Mary and Constantine Fassuliotis, Bill began his life in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Lincoln High School and when he turned 18 enlisted in the Army Air Corp, the precursor to the U.S. Air Force. World War II was in full swing and he joined the European Theater, serving in Foggia Italy as a navigator on B-17s. During one particular sortie he successfully navigated his crippled B-17 to a safe base in the former Yugoslavia where he and his crew were rescued by Tito’s partisan fighters. He received numerous air medals during his tour of duty and was honorably discharged from the service.
After the War, Bill graduated from City College with a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Engineering. During his work career he was engaged in a supervisory capacity for over twenty five years in the petroleum, chemical, food and insurance industries. He appeared as a professional witness before governmental bodies and in court as an expert witness in the area of loss prevention and in occupational health and safety. He was an active member of the Chemical Manufacturers Association (now the American Chemistry Council) in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the 1950s Bill fell in love with the Town of Greenwich, citing the old Pickwick Arms Hotel and Milbank Avenue as the reason that he decided to transplant his young family there from the Bronx, New York. As a property owner on Stanwich Road, he and Despina brought their newborn daughter, Karen, there and vowed that if she cried they would sell the property and find another piece of property in Greenwich on which to build their new home. Karen cried, the Stanwich Road property was sold and they bought a piece of property on which they eventually settled. Bill designed the home that he and Despina built together and in which he and Despina resided for the rest of his life.
After he retired, Bill took courses in real estate and became a licensed real estate broker in Connecticut and in New York State. He later became a licensed real estate appraiser, first for the Resolution Trust Corporation and Mortimer & Mortimer, Inc. Real Estate Company, and later in his own real estate business, WF Associates. Not satisfied with “only” engaging in real estate, William also worked with H&R Block as a senior income tax return preparer and was the “go to” person for the answers to many income tax questions for both his clients and his family.
In 1997 Bill decided to serve his adopted town and was elected to his first term as a Greenwich
Town Constable, a position he held until 2015.
Nothing gave Bill more joy than his family, playing tennis, and in working his gardens around his home, that he both designed, and with his wife, built, in Greenwich. Up until the age of 90 years old you could find Bill outside mowing the lawn on his tractor or tending to his garden. He finally surrendered the lawn duties to a professional lawn service at 91 years old. When his wife, Despina, expressed a desire for a stone wall in the back of the property, ever the engineer William simply built her one all by himself by hand. His motto was “If you want something done right, you do it yourself”, something he instilled in his children as well.
With his wife, and sometimes his children, Bill travelled throughout the United States and the world, touring China right after it was opened to Western tourists, the USSR, Finland, and most of the countries in Europe. He was fortunate enough to visit his parents’ home village outside of Izmir, Turkey, and meet his own grandfather in Greece, who was transplanted to Heraklion, Crete, when the family was forced out of Turkey.
For Bill, family was first and whenever any of his children or grandchildren needed a helping hand, Bill was there in an instant. Whether it was fixing a car, helping to lay down tiles for a bathroom floor, or giving advice, Bill put his family before everything else.
Bill was predeceased by his sister, Theodora Fassuliotis, his brother and sister-in-law Dr. George and Helen Fassuliotis of Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to his wife, Despina, William is survived by his children, Dr. Karen Fassuliotis of Greenwich, CT, Constance Fassuliotis, of Greenwich, CT and Townshend, VT, Dr. Barbara Rogers (Robert) of Cranbury, NJ, and George Fassuliotis (Anastasia) of Woodcliff Lake, NJ. He is also survived by his nephews Dennis Fassuliotis (Elaine), and Dr. Thomas Fassuliotis (Ginger) and his five grandchildren, William Rogers, Virginia Rogers, Alexandra Rogers, William Fassuliotis and Gregory Fassuliotis.
Visitation will be on Friday, May13, 2022 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Leo P. Gallagher Funeral Home, 31 Arch Street, Greenwich, CT. Funeral services will be held at the Greek Orthodox Church of Our Saviour, 2195 Westchester Avenue East, Rye, New York 10580 on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 10:00am Interment will be at Putnam Cemetery, 35 Parsonage Road, Greenwich, CT.