William James Westervelt Sr.

William James Westervelt, Sr. of Bel Air, MD passed away of heart failure on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 with family by his side. He was 98 years old. Born in Brooklyn, NY on March 23, 1916 he was raised in his family's home in the small village of Alpine, NJ. He attended the two room Alpine school where he met his future wife, Janet Dorothy Cole. After
graduation from the Alpine school in 1929, he attended Tenafly High School in Tenafly, NJ graduating in the class of 1933.

The son of Captain William H. Westervelt, who owned a fleet of tugboats in New York Harbor, Bill worked on his father's tugs and attended Pratt Institute of Technology in Brooklyn. He graduated from Pratt in 1940 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. He and Janet Cole were married on September 6, 1941 in the small Methodist church in Alpine and made their first home there. During World War II he worked for the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) in Edgewater, NJ. He also learned to fly small airplanes from Teterboro Airport as part of the Civil Air Patrol during the war. He and Janet moved their growing family to Tenafly, NJ in 1948 so the children could attend the Tenafly schools. He worked as an engineer for the Air Reduction Company in Union, NJ and then became a Management Consultant for the Alexander Proudfoot Company. In July 1964 the family moved to Bel Air, MD when Bill began work at Eastern Stainless Steel Company in Baltimore. After Eastern Stainless he entered the Real Estate sales business with Ward and Bosely Realtors in Bel Air.

After 50 years of marriage, he lost his beloved Janet to breast cancer in 1992 but remained in their family home on Linwood Avenue in Bel Air. In March 2014 he moved to Lorien Assisted Living in Bel Air where he lived until his death. He was able to return to Lorien after his recent heart attack where he was cared for, with his family by his side, by an attentive and caring Lorien staff.

Bill was an early fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team and later the Baltimore Orioles. He was also a fan of the New York Football Giants and later the Baltimore Ravens. He frequently watched and attended Chesapeake Bayhawks and Philadelphia Wings Lacrosse games. He enjoyed watching his sons and daughter play sports at Bel Air High School and later watching his grandchildren play sports at John Carroll School and Joppatowne High School and Shepard University, Salisbury University and UMBC.

He loved watching and playing golf and was a member of the Winters Run Golf Course where he belonged to the "Geritol" group. In their retirement he and Janet were able to make several vacation trips to the western part of the United States. They also enjoyed summer trips to Bethany Beach, DE and visiting with relatives in Virginia, upstate New York and Shelter Island, NY.

He was predeceased by his parents, Captain William H. and Rosalie May Westervelt (nee Gildersleeve; his parents in-law Fredrick and Dorothy Cole (nee Nelson; his sister and brother in law, Rosalie M. and Col. Carmon A. Rogers; his brother and sister in law Clayton R. and Mary D. Westervelt. He was also predeceased by his wife's brothers and sisters, Warren Cole, George Spieldenner, William and Eileen Cole, Michael and Marjorie Fitzpatrick, and Gifford and Ruth Cole.

He is survived by five children: Elaine Westervelt Strovel of Bel Air, Sandra Lee Westervelt of Bel Air, William James Westervelt, Jr. and his wife Laura (nee Russell) of Arnold, MD; David Warren Westervelt and his wife Joyce (nee Coale) of Bel Air; and Leslie Ann Westervelt of Bel Air. Four grandchildren: Christopher William Strovel and his wife Cynthia of Martinsburg, WV, David Warren Westervelt, Jr. and his wife Sarah of Bel Air; Jennifer Westervelt Mettee and her husband Gregory of Bel Air; and Drew Coale Westervelt of Baltimore. Eight great grandchildren: William and Addyson Strovel of Martinsburg, WV, Anna, James and Matthew Westervelt of Bel Air; Graham Mettee of Bel Air and step great grandchildren Nikki and Kelsey Ashbaugh of Martinsburg, WV. Also many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish can make donations to the American Heart Association. P.O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, VA 23058 or a charity of your choice.