William Houston

William Houston, a proud resident of Mount Vernon, NY, passed away on
December 2, 2018. William was born to Hugh and Margaret Houston on
January 30, 1935, and raised with his older brother and best friend
Fred. He was blessed to meet his lifelong sweetheart Rita Paone at
Edison High School, and they married in 1953.

Bill and Rita's busy and loving household held five children, and they
celebrated holidays and took boating weekends and beach vacations with
their extended family. After raising their children in Mount Vernon,
Rita and Bill lived for 17 years in Pleasantville, NY, then spent 10
years enjoying The Villages in Florida before moving back home to be
near the family.

Bill worked in the home heating oil business for over 40 years, from
his start as a service manager at Roy Rasol, through the company's
acquisition by Petroleum Heat and Power in 1985, when a promotion
brought Bill's diplomatic skills and warm personality to excellent use
as part of Petro’s acquisition team. As the person to welcome new
employees to the fold, he offered comfort, stability and encouragement
through their transition, with kindness that will never be forgotten.
He built relationships with vendors across the country that endured
for decades.

Bill lost his loving wife Rita in 2017. He is survived by his
children, Bill Jr. (and Tootie) Houston, Richard Houston (and Tom
Pumo), Debra (and Sal) Baglio, Rita Ann Houston (and Laura Fedele) and
Robert (and Kelly) Houston; they lost a daughter, Angela, in 1959. His
loving grandchildren include BJ Houston, Devin, Danny, and Katie
Houston; and he was blessed with two great-grandchildren, Johanna and
Harper.

A celebration of Bill's life will be held at the Yannantuono Burr
Davis Sharpe Funeral Home in Mount Vernon on Friday, December 7 from 4
to 8pm. A chapel service will be held at the funeral home on Saturday
at 10am.

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