Help Lay William “Bill/Will” Schmitt to Rest

Our dear friend William “Bill/Will” Schmitt passed away on September 8, 2025, following a tragic bicycle accident in Oriental, North Carolina. He was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike to the grocery store and was airlifted to the trauma center in Greenville. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, he never regained consciousness. He was 77 years old.

William lived a unique and devoted life. A man of deep Catholic faith, he was quiet, soulful, and kind. He had no living relatives, but he built family through his friendships, his church, and the sailing community. For many years he lived aboard his sailboat, anchored along the East Coast from Florida to Lake Champlain, and most recently on his beloved Cape Dory 27’. Sailors know how strong the bonds are on the water, we look after one another, and William was always grateful for the friendships and fellowship he found among other sailors.

We are now working to honor William’s final journey. His wish was to be buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY, beside his mother, Viola Bender Schmitt. He wanted his gravestone to bear the words: “And her son Billy.”

To fulfill this wish, we must arrange for William’s transportation from North Carolina to Bellmore Funeral Home in New York, and then to his place of rest at Green-Wood Cemetery. These expenses, along with burial costs, are more than his friends can manage alone.

We are asking for your support to help cover:

• Transportation from North Carolina to New York

• Funeral arrangements through Bellmore Funeral Home

• Burial costs at Green-Wood Cemetery

Any contribution, no matter the size, will bring us closer to giving William the dignity, peace, and love he deserves in his final rest. If you are not able to give, please consider sharing this page with others who knew him — in faith, in friendship, or on the water.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us carry William home.

Any funds remaining after covering William’s burial expenses will be donated in his memory to a children’s fund, continuing his lifelong devotion to caring for and protecting young people.