William C. Meehan, of Rockville Centre

Longtime Rockville Centre resident William C. Meehan — known as Bill to friends and family — died on July 30 at Stony Brook University Medical Center. He was 83.

Meehan was born in Brooklyn on June 26, 1928, the son of Anna and William. His family soon moved to East Rockaway where he attended St. Raymond’s parochial school and East Rockaway High School. Upon graduating from St. John’s University in 1951, with a degree in business, he embarked on a long career in the insurance industry, spending most of it with Fred S. James & Co. of New York.

Meehan married Therese Copin in 1953. After a short stint in Levittown, the Meehans moved to Cambridge Street in 1961 and lived in the village until 1994. Meehan was an active member of the Rockville Centre community, which included his role as scout master of St. Agnes Troop 163. He often reminisced about the glory days of raising his family on Cambridge Street during the 1970’s, with its large families and the annual Cambridge Street

block parties.

Meehan lived a very active life that included fishing, hiking, boating and vacationing in the Adirondack Mountains and Florida. His favorite times were spent with his family at the beach on the North Fork.

Bill and Terry settled into a more leisurely lifestyle in 1994 when they moved permanently to the North Fork of Long Island starting with Nassau Point in Cutchogue and then finally in Southold. They spent the last 10 years at Founders Village in Southold where Meehan was an active member of the community board. He continued to live a life of charity and service which is reflected in the countless hours he spent as a volunteer at Eastern Long Island Hospital and Island Harvest. He was also active in the Knights of Columbus and was a church lector at St. Agnes in Greenport.

Meehan leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Therese and eight children — Mary of Chesapeake, Va., William of East Williston; Francis (Joan) of Centereach; Daniel (Carol) of Rockville Centre; Kevin (Eileen) of Rockville Centre; Richard (Linda) of Ridgewood, N.Y.; James (Torea) of Bethel, Conn. and Elizabeth of Long Beach. Meehan was the proud grandfather of 12 and great-grandfather of one, soon to be two. He is also survived by his two sisters, Eileen Adamson of Bradenton, Fla. and Sister Anne Meehan of Belle Glade, Fla.