Welcome to the memorial page for
William Edwin Marland III
April 26, 1957 ~ December 4, 2017 (age 60) 60 Years Old Light a Candle
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Message from George Chruney
January 28, 2018 10:16 PM
Will Marland was my next door neighbor and probably my closest friend in childhood. I remember meeting him in 1962, just prior to our 5th birthdays. I’ll never forget the sight of him running through our shared side yard to meet us when we arrived on Village Green the first time. He was so happy that a boy his age was moving in next door. I was 24 days older than him, so I became the oldest male child on Village Green. Village Green was a self-contained neighborhood in those days. It was a cul-de-sac road until the early seventies when Stanhope Drive was built up. People on this site have said Norfolk was like a Mayberry in those days, and I concur. Village Green was its own little microcosm. Lots of great families, all with kids. Mothers would push the kids out of the house and tell them not to leave the neighborhood, but to stay out until supper. But when we first moved in, the houses past ours were not yet built. I remember it being an apple orchard, and then Will and I watched as the ground was cleared and the houses went up. I still remember the smell of the dirt upended by big earth movers. We were the oldest boys, and across the street lived the oldest girls, Joanie and Joy Davies (may they now both RIP). Childhood was riding bikes up and down Village Green, playing football and baseball. Will played hockey in youth leagues and eventually on the high school team. He also introduced street hockey to the neighborhood, playing in the street and having to move the goal any time a car came home. It was also a time of hiking in the nearby woods, which at the time we all thought of as the Boy Scout land, even the forest where Stanhope development went in. There were tree forts at the top of a couple of the tallest trees down there we used to climb. Will fell from the top of one of those tall pine trees once, breaking every limb he came in contact with until the last one 10 feet above the ground. He amazingly walked away only scratched up. Will was an only child for the first 12 years of his life, before his parents had more children. He also went to Catholic school (not sure which) so he didn’t become a classmate until maybe high school. But we saw other almost every day. He played Little League for the Yankees, and he was a home-run hitting star. I think he hit 17 or so his last year. We also took swimming lessons together, first at Mann’s Pond and later at the New Town Pond where we eventually got our Senior Lifesaver or Lifeguard designations. Will got a couple of nicknames in high school. He went out for freshman football and was a terror at first. He was always much bigger than me, and as a freshman I was still only 5’4” and 95 pounds. Will was big enough to play guard, and earned the nickname Crazy Horse because he kicked some serious ass in the drills. He was ferocious. In high school he also earned the nickname O.F., which stood for Over Friendly. I did not give him this nickname, which seems a little unkind, but it was just that he was amazingly optimistic and over-the-top positive at times, in an unreal way. He just had such a big heart. We also called him Yam, because his mother would yell for him like this when he was in trouble: “Will-YAM! William Edwin Marland the 3rd, you get in this house this very instant!” Will and I also belonged to Troop 80 of the Boy Scouts. David Smith and I became Eagle Scouts first, but Will and Gordon Chitty were right behind us in that achievement. I lost touch with Will after college when I left the state, and I only saw him a couple of times in the ‘80’s, but I will always remember him and fondly think of our times on Village Green and the old Norfolk. RIP Will.
Message from David Nichols
December 21, 2017 8:06 PM
With great sorrow, I have just learned of Will's passing. My condolences to his family. Will was quite a character, an amazing carpenter, and a very dedicated family man. Will always made me laugh, with his antics, and I'll miss him. RIP Will.
Message from The Werners
December 9, 2017 10:10 AM
Losing a big brother is like losing a best friend. Will is forever is our hearts and prayers. Jordan loved seeing him every summer - it meant so much to her that he took the time to see her EVERY year when she came. She (and I) will never forget when he "rescued" her in New Hampshire, and she will miss his scratchy kisses and bear hugs. We hope you can find peace knowing he is with Mom and all the other family members who went to heaven before him. He's throwing a Sunday supper like we've never seen before! Time will turn immense sorrow to warm memories, but let us know how we can provide support as you wait for the time to pass that enables the hurt to subside.
Love to all of Will's family and friends who are mourning today,
Mary, Mark and Jordan Werner
Love to all of Will's family and friends who are mourning today,
Mary, Mark and Jordan Werner
Message from Mark Hounsell
December 8, 2017 7:23 AM
Bill is more alive now more than ever before. His 60 years walking this earthly plane exemplified a life of Faith, Hope and Charity. Bill knew this is the way to live successfully.
Scriptures tells us these three wonderful powers given to us by our loving Jesus are the things that remains after all else has passed.
It is absolutely the great truth of salvation that causes us to know that even at Bill’s passing his faith, his hope and his love remains. It remains the truth of his continuing eternal life with his Lord Jesus as it remains a model of how each of us should approach our daily walk.
Brother Bill lived a life of service to all. His honest enthusiasm inspired me to call him “Thunder”.
The streets of Glory are indeed thundering even more with Bill Marland’s voice joining in the Heavenly chorus of worshipful praise to his Lord and God, Jesus of Nazareth. We shall meet again in that beautiful city of light. Shabbat Shalom.
Scriptures tells us these three wonderful powers given to us by our loving Jesus are the things that remains after all else has passed.
It is absolutely the great truth of salvation that causes us to know that even at Bill’s passing his faith, his hope and his love remains. It remains the truth of his continuing eternal life with his Lord Jesus as it remains a model of how each of us should approach our daily walk.
Brother Bill lived a life of service to all. His honest enthusiasm inspired me to call him “Thunder”.
The streets of Glory are indeed thundering even more with Bill Marland’s voice joining in the Heavenly chorus of worshipful praise to his Lord and God, Jesus of Nazareth. We shall meet again in that beautiful city of light. Shabbat Shalom.
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