Obituary of William T. Ahearn

William Thomas Ahearn II Born March 31st, 1933 in Jersey City, NJ, "Bill" passed away at the age of 84 in his home in Ringwood on January 7th, 2018. He was surrounded by those he held most dear, Mary, his wife of 56 years, his son Bill Jr., and daughter Lauren. Bill is also survived by his brother Jack Ahearn, daughter-in-law Traci Averill Ahearn, granddaughters Erin and Megan Ahearn, son in law Bill Matits, granddaughters Brooke and Kristen Matits and a grandson Will Matits. At an early age, Bill worked on the Lehigh Valley Railroad and later attended the RCA Institute to pursue his interest in science and electronics. Upon graduation, he began a distinguished career of 35 years with Beckman Instruments where he initially worked as a technician and later in managerial roles. Bill was a patriotic American who could only be held out of serving his country by two badly damaged knees from prior sports injuries. During his 84 years, he personified what it meant to be a man. Strong, yet gentle, a devoted family man, husband, father, grandfather and an all-around great guy. A fierce competitor on the tennis court, he loved to ski and never shied away from a game of bocce, horseshoes or a good plate of food. In his later years, Bill became known as "Poppi" by his five grandchildren who he was incredibly proud of. He leaves behind many wonderful memories and a large loving family including his brothers and sisters in law, many nieces, nephews, cousins and good friends.