William J McNamara

William (Bill) McNamara, age 85, passed peacefully with family by his side on Thursday June 25, 2026 in Muskegon, Michigan. Bill was a 54 year resident of Midland Park, New Jersey before relocating several years ago to be near his daughter Mary in North Muskegon, Michigan. 

Bill was born to Denis & Alice (McMonagle), naturalized Irish immigrants, and grew up in the Bronx. He attended Cardinal Hayes High School where he met the love of his life, Mary Lynch, at a high school dance. He graduated from Manhattan College in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business, and married that high school sweetheart the following year. They honeymooned in Jamaica, which Bill later confessed was influenced by his love of James Bond movies ( "Dr. No" to be specific ), and soon after starting their family, moved to Midland Park. Though they lived in New Jersey, they were always New Yorkers at heart.

Bill’s first and only job after college was as a Certified Public Accountant for Arthur Young, which merged into Ernst and Young, and later renamed EY. During his long career he became a partner in the New York office with clients like Pepsi, Unisys, Wilson, and many more. A milestone of his career was as the forensic accountant determining damages in the Kodak v. Polaroid lawsuit, lasting months in DC federal court where he had over 2000 pages of testimony. His career took him to every corner of the globe rubbing shoulders with CEOs, CFOs, and other business leaders, even a Scotch tasting contest with a former Federal Reserve Chairman while on safari in Africa, which he claims he won.

Bill served in the National Guard and earned his marksman qualification as well as offroad jeep skills which he would later use taking his family over the alpine loop in Colorado in a rented Willies Jeep. His children were too young and having too much fun to be as terrified as their mother! Bill’s son and three of his grandsons would later repeat this trail in a modern Willies Jeep. His time in the National Guard fed his love of the outdoors and camping, which became a cornerstone of family vacations every year.  Bill would spend all winter planning the family's next adventure. These included cross-country tent camping adventures, a road trip to Alaska, camping beachside with his brother’s family, the annual Irish Festival in the Catskills, and many more camping trips exploring the far corners of North America. Tailgating at West Point with the neighbors was another annual highlight. These family trips were always memorialized with a slide show on the front lawn and later with photo albums. Bill accumulated over 300 photo albums of his travels. 

Eventually, this desire to travel would take him and Mary to every corner of the globe with adventures to the Lost Cities, Patagonia, Mongolia, Antarctica, Machu Picchu, the Orient Express, and the Galapagos, just to name a few. His world travels, paired with his passion for history, made him a wealth of knowledge and experience that he loved to share with family, friends, and fellow travelers. He recently repeated the Galapagos trip with his daughter Mary’s family, which would be his last adventure. He was thrilled to share his passion with his grandchildren! 

Bill was loving, caring, and devoted to his family - a true gentleman. He and Mary were blessed with three children: William Jr., Mary, and Nancy, as well as 10 grandchildren, who were the joy of his later life. He had a quick wit and a vast knowledge across many topics as well as a wicked sense of humor which his neighbors on Crest Drive got to enjoy - repeatedly. He loved spending time with his family whether it be relaxing at his wife’s favorite place, Long Beach Island, hosting family wide parties at the house in Midland Park, or skiing up north where he was a founding member of the Jay Mac Ski School. In recent years he found companionship with Audrey Sweeney, sharing Irish dances, broadway shows, and long lunches reminiscing about the Bronx. His passion for life, adventure, and humor was infectious, and time spent in his presence was always enjoyable, and you usually learned something too!

Bill is survived by his children William Jr. (Susan) of Macungie, PA and Mary (Mark) Moulton of North Muskegon, MI; his grandchildren Jake, Zachary, and Jordan McNamara; Spencer, Mitchell, Olivia, Richard, and Emerson Moulton; Cara and Louis DiPietro; his sisters-in-law, Winnie Reilly and Irene Overall; and many nieces, nephews, and grandnieces/nephews. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Mary, his daughter Nancy DiPietro, and brothers Patrick and Denis. 

Bill leaves behind a significant legacy as evidenced by his granddaughter Jordan’s message to him in his final days. “Dear Papa Mc, I am forever grateful for everything you have done for us grandchildren and will always be proud to carry the McNamara name. You taught me that dreams can come true through hard work, determination, and a willingness to keep learning. I am proud to have inherited your work ethic, love of learning, and passion for travel. Thank you for believing in us and giving us the opportunity to pursue our dreams. Every day I work as a speech therapist is a tribute to you and the opportunities you made possible for me.”  His legacy lives on in all his grandchildren: a financial analyst, a virtual design and construction specialist, a speech pathologist, an actress, a sports journalist, an Eagle Scout, and future patent lawyer, doctor, and civil engineer, as well as the tiniest who just lights up every room she enters. Bill lives on in them all.

Friends may visit with the family at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ, on Friday, July 10th, 2026, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. A funeral mass will be celebrated Saturday, July 11th, 2026 at the Church of the Nativity, 315 Prospect Street, Midland Park at 11:00 AM. Entombment  will follow at George Washington Memorial Park, 234 Paramus Road, Paramus NJ 

In lieu of flowers memorial donations/contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to Children's Aid and Family Services

200 Robin Road, Paramus NJ 07652

Tel: 1-201-261-2800

Web: http://cafsnj.org

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