William E. "Bill" Gross III

William “Bill” E. Gross III, 71 of Holyoke, MA, passed away peacefully on August 2, 2025 after a brief battle with a rare disease. Bill was born in Holyoke in 1954 to the late Lois (Desrosiers) and William E. Gross, Jr. He spent his childhood exploring the woods of Elmwood. A lifelong outdoorsman, he loved fishing, hunting, kayaking and biking. Bill graduated from Holyoke Catholic High School in 1972 and went on to complete the Holyoke Trade High School Electrical Program in 1974. A proud master electrician, Bill retired from the South Hadley Electric Light Department and continued working for himself until his passing.

He is survived by his twin daughters, Andrea (William A.) French of Holyoke, and Theresa Gross of Worcester; his grandchildren, Sylvia and Dustin French; his sister, Barbara Gross of Holyoke; his brother, Stephen (Regina) Gross of Longmeadow; his niece, Carolyn Gross of Watertown; and his cousins, Lois Baush of Holyoke and Cynthia Tomko of Johns Island, SC. In addition to his family, Bill leaves behind his dear friend and partner of seven years, Peg Yarmesky of Holyoke; along with many close friends that he made through his work and outdoor adventures.

The funeral will be held on Monday August 11 at 10:30am from the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street, followed by Mass in Blessed Sacrament Church at 11:00am. Burial is in Forestdale Cemetery West, Rock Valley Road. Visitation is Monday from 9:00am to 10:30am in the funeral home.

In his memory, donations can be made to the Save Elmwood Forest legal fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-elmwood-forest-legal-support-needed, a cause he championed until his death.

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