Help Support the Dooley Family in Memory of Pbear

Maria Dooley is organizing this fundraiser.

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On November 4th we lost of the greats. Pbear was one of the most gentle, kind hearted, loving, gracious, intelligent, incredibly musically talented, and spiritual humans I have ever known. In this time of terrible heart breaking grief I am grateful to all those who have reached out to my family. I created this donation page to help with the services and past medical bills. Thank you for the support and help during this difficult time.

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William Patrick Dooley (Bill), 78 years old, born in Oak Park on January 12, 1946, moved on to his next adventure November 4th, 2024 after a brave battle with esophageal cancer. Bill was a devoted husband, best friend, and sweetheart for over 55 years to the beautiful and courageous Judith Ann Dooley (Lynch), his one and only Maude, her Willo. Lovingly known as Dad, Pops, Da, P-Bear to his five children William P. Dooley, Jr., Emily (Jesse) Gallagher, Seamus (Erikah Lushaj) Dooley, Joseph (Liat Nosrati) Dooley, and Maria (Sean Duff) Dooley. Adoringly loved as Bapa and Grandpa Bill to his grandchildren Ava, Tommy, Brighe, Hadley, Declan, and Kaia. Son of Thomas Francis Dooley, a photo engraver with the Chicago Tribune, and Avis Grace (McMullin), an accomplished portrait artist in the 1930s, who as Avis Mac was known for capturing the spirit of the era by drawing for many movie stars and other celebrities of the day. A caring and loving brother to Tom (Nancy) Dooley, Dennis (Kirste Carlson) Dooley, Joe (Katie Joyce) Dooley, Jim (Anna) Dooley, and Mike (Trish) Dooley. Beloved brother-in-law to Ed (Chris) Lynch and Tom (Judy) Lynch. Endearing uncle and great uncle to Ben (Pam Turlow) Dooley, Tommy (Pam) Dooley, Danny (Trish) Dooley, John (Nancy) Dooley, Mo (Chris) Lanty, Peggy Lynch, Kevin (Paige) Lynch, Micky (Robert ) Hubanks, Ed (Maria) Lynch, Danny (Katie) Lynch, Mike Lynch, and Mick, Bridget, Jimmy, Maryrose, Maggie, Claire, Annie, Sean, and Grace Dooley. Bill grew up in River Forest, Illinois within the St. Luke Parish community where he made friendships and deeply rooted bonds that would be dear to him for the rest of his life. He attended St. Luke Parish School, Fenwick High School, and Loyola University Chicago. Bill had his mother’s artistic talents and loved to draw as a child, creating countless cartoon characters and books that he would later share with his family, especially his grandchildren. His family was also very musically talented. Singing was part of the fabric of his household, especially once they got hold of oldest brother Tom’s ukulele. Bill and his brothers’ love of harmony and playing music together truly blossomed. Together they sang barbershop, songs of the 50s, folk music and songs from Ireland. He was very proud of his Irish heritage and the spirit and joy that it provided. It was during Bill’s college years at Loyola that his songwriting took off as he became masterful on the 6-string and 12-string guitars, never by reading music, always by ear and feel. His intense focus and incredible memory allowed him to develop his unique style of fingerpicking and the ability to play anything after hearing it only once. The music of the Kingston Trio, Bob Gibson, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot and many others inspired his own songwriting. During this time, Bill and his brothers Joe, Jim and Mike formed an official band together and became consistent staples in the Chicago Folk and Irish scenes. The Dooley Brothers would continue to sing, record, and write music for over 40 years. Bill loved to write songs and music; favorites included Little Willo, Black Sunshine, and The Michigan Wind. Bill also performed his own live shows, most notably at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn where he was able to capture an audience with his gifts of song and storytelling. In 1969 he married the one and only love of his life Judy. They shared and supported each other through many adventures, their biggest legacy being their five children and six grandchildren. They always put family at the center of everything they did. They modeled love, devotion, tradition, loyalty, deep faith, generosity of spirit, and a terrific sense of humor. They loved any reason to celebrate, especially their children and grandchildren. They loved sitting by a good fire with Bill playing the guitar, playing a serious game of gin, or watching beautiful sunsets from their favorite spot in Pentwater, Michigan. Being a father was at the heart of who Bill was. He loved it and truly appreciated the beauty and significance of childhood. He often would try to capture moments with his camera with the hopes that he could recreate the scene someday in pastel. He regularly facilitated magic for his children with his clever storytelling, harmless mischief, imaginative play, inventions, creativity, Michigan hikes, explorations on the Chippewa Flowage, and of course, his guitar playing. He made every holiday extra special with his creative talents and his desire to create joy for his family. His patient, loving, and caring nature always made him a safe space to be and he kept that space boundlessly open to his family. Caring for his family was his number one priority. He imparted family traditions and relics, the value of honesty and integrity, work ethic, love of nature and the stars, appreciation for the beauty of art and all different kinds of music, the importance of learning from history and carrying that with us, how to be self-sufficient, how to be a good neighbor and take care of each other, and most importantly how to execute a well thought-out practical joke, appropriately timed movie quote, and epic scary campfire story. As a grandfather, he quickly caught on to his grandchildren’s individual talents and was always thinking of ways to support and nurture them. A visit wasn’t complete without singing a few songs. He sang songs that he had written and favorite folk songs, including the ever-entertaining works of Shel Silverstein that always made them giggle. He shared stories and folktales, played games, made epic s’mores, taught them the art of the dribble sand castle, drew them countless pictures of his infamous cartoon characters, passed down items from his childhood, taught them magic tricks, and made every birthday special by playing his guitar for them with a special happy birthday serenade. One of Bill’s greatest loves was spending time with his family and friends in the lakes and woods of Wisconsin and Michigan. He savored beauty and peace on a still lake with his fishing pole or riding his bike along Lake Michigan. Bill was a true renaissance man, going beyond sharing his artistic expression. In 1972 he was among the first market makers of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, where for over 40 years he crafted unique trading strategies and provided for his family. He had an excellent mind for creatively solving problems and fixing things, making him the neighborhood and family handyman. He loved inventing gadgets and things that would make life easier and more fun. He had a tender generous heart and always gave a helping hand. He was a friend of Bill W. and many that knew him for over 47 years. For his entire adult life, he carried in his shirt pocket a small notebook, in which he wrote songs, poems, ideas for projects, life’s lessons, and his ever-evolving prayer list. His profound sense of faith carried him through many of life's challenges, especially in his final months. Bill led with kindness, love, and deep integrity, and had a quiet strength and grace that he maintained even in the hardest times. This may be his greatest legacy for his children and grandchildren. He is deeply, and will be forever, missed.

(We will celebrate his life, but that date is still to be determined)

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