William "Bill" Charles Cone

William "Bill" Charles Cone, 78, beloved husband of Nancy Winnie Cone for 56 years, passed away suddenly on January 30, 2021 at Oconee Memorial Hospital in Seneca, SC.

Bill was born in Hartford, Connecticut, a son of the late Charles Kenney and Hannah Elizabeth "Lillian" Gill. He lived for several years in Texas and graduated from Southington (Connecticut) High School. His gregarious and outgoing personality perfectly suited his career as a retail manager. He served as a mentor to many during his time at Tri Town Foods in Westchester, Portland, and Colchester, CT. He was the hardware manager at Paul's and Sandy's Too in East Hampton, CT prior to his retirement.

A devout Catholic, Bill was an active member of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Colchester, CT for 45 years, serving as a Parish Trustee and member of the finance committee, and was a regular attendee of the Men's Retreat weekends. Upon arriving in Seneca, he made many new friends through the St. Paul Men's Group and the "How to Be a Catholic Man in Today's World" group at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. He was a member of the Connecticut First Company Governor's Foot Guard, and also served in the Connecticut Air National Guard. A lifelong fisherman, he was also a proud member of Trout Unlimited in both Connecticut and South Carolina.

Bill considered himself the "richest man alive" and his favorite moments were spent with his loving family. Surviving in addition to his wife Nancy is a large extended family who will miss him dearly: two sons, Bill Cone and his wife, Linda and Mike Cone and his wife, Andrea; three daughters, Wendy Gilman and her husband, Charles, Cheryl Jeffries and her husband, Will and Cindy Govoni and her husband, Jeff; brother, John Cone and his wife, Donna; sister, Katherine Patry and her husband, Daniel; grandchildren, Gregory and Marguerite Gilman, Morgan, Rileigh, and Ryan Govoni, Jess Avizinis and her husband Ed, and Josh Redinger and his wife, Ashley Gee-Redinger; great-grandchildren, Aimable and Nina Avizinis; several nieces and nephews, and a number of dear cousins.

In addition to his parents, Bill was predeceased by a sister, Barbara Cone.

There were no strangers in Bill's life, only friends he hadn't yet met. If he wasn't fishing, he could be found in his garden, working in his yard or gathering the latest news from the neighborhood; Nancy called him the Town Crier. He loved tying flies, gladly sharing them with family and friends, and in recent years, selling them. His sense of humor, kindness, generosity, and compassion will be missed by all those who knew and loved him.

A funeral Mass will be held at 2 pm, Monday, February 8, 2021 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Seneca. The family respectfully requests that all attendees wear a face covering.

An urnment will immediately follow in the St. Paul Colombarium.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish may consider a donation to St. Andrew Church, ATTN: Fr. Richard Breton, 128 Norwich Avenue, Colchester CT 06415 or the Capital Fund, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 170 Bountyland Rd. Seneca, SC 29672.

Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home & Cremations, Central-Clemson Commons.