William "Bill" Graner

William Flick Graner, 83, was an amazing man who departed this earth way too soon on Sunday, June 25 at 8:34 pm after a very short, but aggressive illness. He was a devoted father, husband, brother, cousin, uncle, friend, and neighbor. Known to most as Bill (or Billy), he was energetic and always smiling through his tooth-gapped grin. He went out of his way to help others in need – before himself – looking out for their best interests.

Born in Brooklyn, NY on June 14, 1940, to Margaretha and William F. Graner, Sr., Bill and his sister Marjorie grew up in Ridgewood, NY (Queens) – a place he adored to his last day. He was a life-long resident of East Setauket, NY (Long Island), until he and his wife moved to Bluffton, SC (Sun City) in 2011. Bill attended PS 77 and Brooklyn Tech High School as well as a stint at the Pennsylvania Military Academy. Bill earned a BS in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, MS in Civil Engineering (Sanitary/Environmental) from New York University, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York.

With a Professional Engineer (PE) designation, Bill’s vast experience was spent mainly in public works and environmental engineering with a specialty in wastewater management. He worked as a chief engineer and consultant in both the government and private sectors as well as served as an associate and adjunct professor for the New York Institute of Technology. After retiring, he kept up his craft with a private consulting practice. Bill participated in numerous industry associations and was recognized in 2022 as a 60-year continuous member of the NYWEA.

Bill held many interests. He was active in the Church of the Palms and served proudly as a Mason (Hardeeville Masonic Lodge #348 and Suffolk Lodge 60), like both his father and grandfather before him.  He took regular classes through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and volunteered on the Board of the Beaufort-Jasper County (SC) Water & Sewer Authority. He enjoyed bike riding, walking the Sun City nature trail (completing 10K steps several times a week), music, playing pickle tennis, TV/movies (particularly war movies), golf, travel, old cars from the 50s, politics/news, ancestry research, eating out, and a good donut or pastry. Bill was known for his delicious “Bill’s German Potato Salad.” In February of this year, he fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting the Mayan Ruins, with his daughter Patty, and had been looking forward to more adventures.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Barbara. He is survived by daughters Patty Graner, Sue Raedeke (Tom), grandsons Tyler and Sean Raedeke, sister Marjorie Pichel (Richard), nephews Jesse Pichel (Isabella, Alice) and Matthew Pichel (Emiko, Colden), first cousin Joan (Laura, Susan), plus numerous second and third cousins (many of whom he had connected with via Ancestry), close friends (many life-long), and neighbors.

Memorial services are pending.