William Crockford

William P. “Bill” Crockford, Jr, age 99, of Ocean City, New Jersey passed away peacefully at home on October 13, 2025 surrounded by his loving family. His spouse of 75 years, Alice Crockford, passed away just eight days earlier. They were devoted to one another and this community, volunteering in many civic organizations, including fifteen years as Civil Mediators for the New Jersey court system to help parties in civil disputes reach a solution instead of having the court decide the case.

William is survived by daughters Kathleen and Karen, sisters-in-law, Margaret “Peg” Lippincott and Mary “Jean” MacPherson, grandchildren Christy Zuzelo (Momar Fall), Brian Ackley (Lisa Farjam), Maylee Crockford, William D. Crockford, and great-grandchildren Simon, Isabella, Idy, Alice Rose, Dune, and Beau, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his Loving Wife Alice on October 5, 2025, his parents, William P., Sr. and Evelyn (nee Fisher) Crockford, parents-in-law, Allison and Frances MacPherson, son-in-law, James H. Patterson, and daughter-in-law, Therese A. “Terry” McIntyre.

William was a Navy veteran of World War II. During his deployment he contracted polio and spent time recuperating at Warm Springs, Georgia. This setback did not deter him from pursuing his many hobbies, including gardening, woodworking, collecting Stanley Tools, tinkering in his amazing garage, and assembling radios and other electronic devices from scratch. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he painstakingly restored a 1925 Model T Ford, participating regularly in local auto shows, including the Blyler-Godfrey Memorial Auto Show, in Ocean City. He also survived a two-year bout with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at age 80. His approach to life with Alice by his side and a sustaining faith in God made him a fountain of wisdom for those who knew him.

Bill had a career in real estate after graduating from Rider College in the early 1950s. At mid-life, he returned to college and received his teaching credentials from Glassboro State College, now Rowan University. He taught Industrial Arts in Woodbine and Sea Isle City Public Schools. After retiring in 1987, Bill and Alice traveled extensively on cycling trips with Roads Scholar (formerly Elderhostel). In 1988, Bill participated with his cycling buddies in RAGBRI, the seven-day, approximately 400-mile bike ride across the state of Iowa.

Bill was an active member of St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, teaching Sunday School, serving on various boards and committees, assisting with various funding raising activities, participating in the Men’s Fellowship group, and driving the church van to transport residents of The Shores (Wesley Manor) to Sunday services.

A Service of Memory and Love is being planned and will be posted when finalized. Memorial contributions are suggested to either the Asbury Endowment Fund c/o St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, 501 East 8th Street, Ocean City, NJ 08226 or the United Methodist Communities Foundation (note The Shores) 2201 Bay Avenue, Ocean City, NJ 08226.