Major William F. Alsop, Jr. (USMC, Retired)

William F. Alsop, Jr. died peacefully at his home in Bomoseen, VT on January 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was 97 years of age.

Bill was born in Canton, MA, on June 18, 1927, to William F. Alsop, Sr. and Mary Louise (Sevigny) Alsop.

A self-effacing man, Bill described his life as "a great adventure". He was a Marine Corps veteran of three wars: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

At age 15, Bill joined the Marines with the permission of his parents and was sent to fight in the Pacific Theatre. He fought as a sniper on the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. His bravery in the second World War earned him several medals including four Purple Hearts.

When WWII concluded, he returned to Massachusetts with his wife Dorothy. Bill and Dorothy had two children, William III and Robert. With the assistance of the GI Bill, William attended Harvard University and graduated in 2 and a half years, as part of the Harvard's largest class ever, in 1950. Bill returned to the Marine Corps in the Reserves and was soon called to serve in Korea. Again, he fought valiantly, and was promoted to Lieutenant.

Post-Korea, Bill was assigned to Public Relations in Boston. He was promoted to Captain and was from there dispatched to Oberammergau, Germany, to attend Russian Language School. During this time, he traveled extensively throughout Europe.

Following his schooling in Germany, he was assigned to an embassy post as a Naval Attache in Helsinki, Finland. He resided in Finland for several years and married (Karin) Gunilla Lilius.

In 1965, Bill received the final assignment of his military career. He was deployed as a Major to be the Executive Officer of the First Marine Ground Unit in Vietnam, landing in DaNang.

In 1968, Bill and Gunilla moved to Rutland, VT, where Bill began his second career as a History Professor at Castleton State College. They had two children, daughter Kaarin and son Erik. Bill was renowned for his excellent knowledge of course material, "transparencies," gravestone rubbings for his Colonial America class and Friday tests. He was beloved by his students, and taught for thirty years, retiring in 1998.

Bill was an avid collector of Americana, stamps and historical documents. He was a member of the Association for Gravestone Studies. He was a voracious reader with a huge library and a constant thirst for knowledge.

Survivors include his wife of 18 years, Faye; children Robert (Deb), Kaarin (Tom), Erik; daughter in law Leslie; grandchildren Pam, Robert, Conor, Jacob, and Sullivan; as well as several great-grandchildren and step-sons, Jason and Matthew. He is also survived by former wives, Gunilla and Rebecca and faithful friend Ed Hall, who visited Bill twice a week for many years.

Bill was predeceased by his parents, his siblings, and his eldest son, William III.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at the Veterans Administration and Bayada Hospice (especially Melissa) and Bayada Home Care (notably Miranda.)

Per Bill's wishes, there will be no calling hours. Burial with Military Honors will take place at a later date, followed by a Celebration of Life.