William “Bill” Joseph Prandy Jr.

William "Bill" Joseph Prandy Jr., 78, of Tolland, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on the morning of June 26, 2026.

Bill was born December 11, 1947, in Niagara Falls, New York, the son of William and Alice Prandy. He grew up there alongside his two sisters, Pam and Diane.

He served his country in the United States Navy as a Missile Technician First Class (MT1), qualified in both submarines and as a diver. From 1969 to 1976 he served aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Will Rogers (SSBN-659), where he was known to his shipmates as "Polaris," making six patrols during the Cold War. His duty stations included Dam Neck, Virginia, and New London, Connecticut, and he was awarded the Navy Good Conduct Medal.

After his naval service, Bill built a career as an engineer at Ensign-Bickford and later worked in IT at Rushford in Hartford, Connecticut.

A devoted outdoorsman, Bill was an avid fly fisherman who tied his own lures, and a lifelong hiker. Among his proudest accomplishments was climbing all 48 of New Hampshire's 4,000-foot peaks, earning his official induction into the Appalachian Mountain Club's Four Thousand Footer Club. Above all, he treasured time spent with his family and held a deep and abiding love for Bud, the family dog.

At Bill's wish, there will be no formal services. In lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor his memory are invited to make a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (michaeljfox.org) in his name.