Obituary of William John DeCroce

William John DeCroce 1/30/1941 - 8/28/2014 Uncle Bill from over the hill has gone home. Bill DeCroce, handyman extraordinaire, friend, hero, genius and sweetheart, left us on August 28, 2014. He leaves behind the family he loved, ex-wife, Deanna; children, Amy Archipov, Julie Elakesh, Michael and Patrick DeCroce, their spouses; nine grandchildren, his loyal love, Marie and a wealth of friends who adored him. Bill could fix anything that was broken or build what was only imagined. He'd owned a local grocery store in New York and a restaurant in Tucson. Bill had an inventive mind, always thinking of different ways to improve or simplify. He was the proud inventor of the Cooler Spider Cleaner Reamer. He always had a story or a joke (usually awful) and he could make your laugh (or groan) no matter how serious your problem. Although you may have started as a customer, you invariably ended as a friend. If needed, he'd come at night, the weekend or a holiday. You could always trust that he would take care of you, find the right part (often in his yard), repair the damage, then leave you relieved and probably laughing. When a friend's house was robbed, he slept on her sofa until she felt safe again. He'd feed your cat and wash your dishes even if they didn't need it. He'd do magic tricks for your kids, speak to them in tongues and be delightfully silly. His reputation was such that when a four year old burst her balloon, she quickly comforted herself by yelling, "Bill can fix it." There wasn't much that Bill couldn't fix except his beautiful heart. The generosity, love and kindness that flowed out of that big, macho heart will be carried on by those who were lucky enough to know and love him. Services will be held later in the month.