William Vincent Radoslovich

William Vincent Radoslovich passed away on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. 

William (Bill) was born in Clayton, New Mexico in 1928. His parents Mark Radoslovich and Mary (Picinich) Radoslovich immigrated from the island of Mali Losinj, Croatia. Bill was the youngest and last surviving of six children.

Bill leaves behind his three children: W Michael Radoslovich and partner Kevin Doyle of Dover, MA, Katherine Bleich of Santa Cruz, CA, Mark Radoslovich and wife Gloria of Albuquerque, NM; 5 grandchildren: Eric Bleich, Christopher Bleich and wife Marina Bleich, Jonathon Bleich of Santa Cruz, CA, Vanessa Rodoslovich of Albuquerque, NM, Kristen Radoslovich of Albuquerque, NM; one great granddaughter Kaia Bleich; his adopted nephew Charles Olson and wife Nicole Bogin along with their daughter Lila Olson of Gloucester, MA. Also many nieces and nephews from his brother John Radoslovich and sister Agnes Ozarka.

Bill grew up in the dust bowl and post-depression 1930s in the rural cattle country of eastern New Mexico. He was the son of a saloon keeper. He experienced significant loss in those early years, losing 2 brothers and his mother by the time he was 14. While attending Clayton High School he was a State of New Mexico All Star football player and had his own swing band called the “Swingsters". He joined the army when he was 17 with the help of a note from his father. Bill served in post WWII occupied Japan in 1946. Once out of the army he attended college at the University of New Mexico with a major in Chemical Engineering and became president of the Newman Club. There he met Jean Kaiser, who was attending nursing school. Bill and Jean were married on January 27, 1951 in Albuquerque. After their first child was born in 1952, they relocated to Brooklyn, NY to be closer to Jean’s family. 

 Bill worked for Johnson and Johnson and relocated to Gloucester, Ma when Johnson and Johnson acquired LePage’s. Bill became the Technical Director of R&D at LePage’s. A position he held for 35 yrs. While raising three children and his nephew he was involved in supporting civic activities, attending city council meetings, providing engineering support for the development of the first sewage treatment plant in the community, the closing of the town dump, and research to minimize pollution spread. Bill was active in the church at Our Lady of Good Voyage and later taught catechism at St Anthony’s church in East Gloucester. Bill enjoyed being a Boy Scout leader when his son Mark and nephew Charles were Boy Scouts. 

Bill was a natural problem solver and handy man bringing ingenuity and creativity to fix things and solve problems. Bill and Jean divorced in the early 1980s. Many years later he met his long-time partner Virginia Mirabito of Danvers. After Bill retired, he and Ginni enjoyed traveling and sharing good times with family and friends. Ginni was diagnosed Multiple Systems Atrophy which took her life in 2012. Although Bill was in his early 80’s, he was by her side continuously, making sure she had all the care she needed and ensuring that her wish to stay in her home as long as possible was granted. Bill fostered a deep and loving relationship with Ginni’s grandchildren who adored Bill just as much as he adored them.

Bill’s life-long joy was in the garden planting and growing flowers and vegetables. Gardening is what brought him the greatest peace. It didn’t matter where he lived, he found a place to garden. Once retired it didn’t take Bill long to find New England Bamboo in Rockport, MA where he spent the next 10 years working part time as their chief propagator, dividing plants and developing the best soil mix and fertilization for the new plants. 

After Ginni passed away Bill moved to Needham, MA to be near his son Michael. Four years later Bill returned to his homeland of New Mexico and to be with near his son Mark and his family. He loved looking at the mountains and the deep blue sky of New Mexico. He lived well there and was connected to his entire extended family and the place he knew best. Family and friends will remember Bill for his gentle, helpful spirit. Bill took pleasure in the simple purity of things easily overlooked, the shape of a cloud, the bird feeding its young, children playing gleefully.  Bill loved kite flying and coaxing the fragile constructions into the air for a dance and entertaining all who watched. Bill approached all living things with grace, respect and kindness. 

In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree in Bill’s memory.

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