Bill Ganshaw

William H. Ganshaw, age 79, of Wayland, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, July 18, 2026.

Affectionately known as Bill, Billy, or Willy, he was born on May 16, 1947, in Lockport to the late John and Elizabeth Ganshaw. In his younger years, Bill proudly served as a firefighter with the Livonia Fire Department and enjoyed countless hunting and fishing trips with family and friends.

Aside from his family, Bill's greatest love was the outdoors. At just 16 years old, he began working at Moses Nursery in Lima, New York, where he remained until the business was sold when he was 50. He then joined Davey Tree, where he found not only a career he loved, but also a second family. As his coworkers would jokingly tell you, Marty Fuller remained "first in the chain of command" to this day. During his years with Davey Tree, Bill enjoyed snow plowing in the winter and landscaping and pruning throughout the spring, summer, and fall, though he developed a particular passion for creating hardscapes.

Bill retired from Davey Tree on June 3, 2012. Retirement gave him the opportunity to devote himself to new hobbies, including woodburning and crafting specialty birdhouses for family and friends. From April through September, he could almost always be found happily working in his garage. During the winter months, he traded the garage for the kitchen table, where he spent hours building intricate model kits.

Billy will be remembered for his love of people and animals, his quick wit and playful sense of humor, his deep appreciation for the outdoors, and, above all, his kind and generous heart. He had a gift for making people laugh and brightening the lives of those around him.

In addition to his parents, Bill was predeceased by his beloved wife, Claudia; his brother, Dennis (Elfriede) Ganshaw; and his cherished cats, Lil Bit and Squeakers.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Kerriann (Thomas) Recktenwald; his siblings, Sharon Gaczynski, Michael Ganshaw, John Ganshaw Jr., and Maureen (Ron) Griswold; his grandson, Corey (Aurora) Folts; his great-grandchildren, Paisley Rose Folts and Hadlee June Folts; his nieces and nephews, Megan (Tom) Leavy, Kelsey (Cody) Stidfole, Kerstyn (Mike) Torregiano, Gwen (Todd) Henderson, Steven (Heather) Gaczynski, Matthew Griswold, and Mark Griswold; his great-nieces and great-nephews, Brayden, Remi, Declan, Kinsley, Forest, Salem, Gavin, Galen, Owen, Logan, and Aiden; his dear friends, Kevin & Donna Ayers, Bill & Deb Henchen, Jean & Madelyn Wolfanger, Paul & Annie, and his entire Davey Tree family.

In accordance with Bill and Claudia's wishes, a private graveside service will be held at the Village Cemetery in Wayland. A celebration of their lives will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to CareFirst NY Hospice by visiting CareFirstNY.org/donate.