William Mechare

SALISBURY — William Mechare, 92, of 307 Lime Rock Road, died Oct. 22, 2009, at Sharon Hospital after a brief illness.  He was the husband of Eleanor C. Mechare, to whom he was married for 63 years.

He was born on May 7, 1917, in Millerton, the son of the late Helena (Haines) and Antonio Mechare.  

A veteran of World War II, Mr. Mechare served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater as a tank commander in the 754th Tank Battalion.  He also served in the Central Europe and Rhineland campaigns as part of Company A 290th Engineers C Battalion.  He fought as an infantry soldier at the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Bronze Star Medal.

For many years he worked locally as a master auto body repairman, at one point owning a business with his son. He was the head custodian of Kent Center School in Kent for 11 years, retiring in 1988.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Curt A. Mechare and his wife, Patricia, of Falls Village; two grandsons, Jason A. Mechare and his wife, Heather, of Falls Village and Ethan A. Mechare and his partner, Yirko Sale, of Los Angeles, Calif.; a granddaughter, Catherine E. Mechare and her fiancé, Brian Bergeron, of North Canaan; a great-granddaughter, Madeline C. Mechare of Falls Village; two sisters, Florence Prindle of Sharon and Mary Leitch of Millbrook, N.Y.; and a number of nieces and nephews.  

He was predeceased by two brothers, John Perkins and Antonio “Pete� Mechare; and two sisters, Sarah Dean and Pauline Tuncy.

Graveside services were held at Grassy Hill Cemetery in Falls Village. Contributions may be made in his memory to the Falls Village Day Care Center, Inc., 35 Page Road, Falls Village, CT 06031.

Arrangements are under the care of the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home in North Canaan.

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