William ‘Bill’ James Smurthwaite
William J. Smurthwaite, 87, of Malvern, PA, passed away Monday, June 13, 2016, at the Phoenixville Hospital, Phoenixville, PA. Born May 2, 1929 in West Chester, PA, he was predeceased by his parents William Locke Smurthwaite and Mary Lengel Smurthwaite, and resided in Berwyn, PA.
William was a loving and devoted husband to Alice (Cooper) Smurthwaite, his high school sweetheart.
William graduated from Tredyffrin Easttown High School in the Class of 1948. He made his career as a tool maker, working for Johnson Matthey Incorporated, in West Chester, for 44 years.
William was a member of the Charlestown United Methodist Church in Charlestown Township, Pennsylvania.
William had a strong appreciation for nature, and enjoyed feeding and watching the birds. Until his health deteriorated, William was an avid hunter and fisherman, and looked forward to annual trips to the hunting cabin in Pike County.
In addition to his wife, William is survived by his four children, Alice Marie Smurthwaite of Ringoes, New Jersey; William James Smurthwaite, Jr. of Landenberg, PA; Anna Smurthwaite of Pottstown, PA; John Smurthwaite and his wife, Leslie Smurthwaite, of Pottstown, PA; his three grandchildren, Bryan Smurthwaite, Erik Smurthwaite, and Victoria Smurthwaite.
Visitation will be held 9:30 – 10:00 on Friday morning, June 17, 2016, at the Mauger Givnish Funeral Home, 24 Monument Avenue, Malvern, PA. The memorial service will immediately follow. Burial will take place after the memorial service at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 101 Worthington Road, Exton, PA with the Rev. Dr. Eric H. Woodworth officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the American Wildlife Federation, P.O. Box 1691, Merrifield, VA 2216-1691 (nwf.org) or Autism Speaks, 1060 State Road 2nd Fl, Princeton, NJ 08540 (autismspeaks. org).
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