"To the McGuire family, We are truly sad for your loss. Our prayers and thoughts are frequent for those who suffer due to the anguish of losing a loved one. We all experience this loss but the Bible teaches that soon death will end at Revelations 7:15-17. That scripture brought us comfort when my mother in law passed. Take peace and hope that Jehovah provides. Click to learn what the Bible teaches about the end if death. https://bit.ly/36ujrrx"
In loving memory of
William J. McGuire
December 7, 1948 - July 24, 2020
William John McGuire unexpectedly passed from this life on July 24, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona.
Bill was born December 7, 1948 in Elyria, Ohio, and spent his childhood and youth there. He was an Eagle Scout and enjoyed working in his father's auto parts business and restoring junked cars, graduating from Elyria High in 1967.
Within a year he enlisted in the Army, serving a full tour of duty in Vietnam during the height of the war as an air traffic controller, and was honorably discharged.
After his service, Bill earned degrees in Business Administration and Economics at Ohio University. He was President of a local food-coop and developed a passion for gardening that lasted a lifetime. He earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1977.
Bill spent 10 years teaching Economics and Finance in Virginia, Nebraska, and Kentucky. He met his future wife Linda at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. They eloped to West Virginia in 1984 and taught together at Eastern Kentucky University. They moved to Cincinnati in 1987 when Bill transitioned to a banking career at the Federal Home Loan Bank. He became an expert in banking legislation and always had a colorful quote for the local newspaper about the economy.
When Bill and his staff were laid off at the Bank, he started his first company to continue services previously fulfilled by FHLB. Its success was quickly identified by a banking software firm and he sold the company and joined Sendero Corp as a Senior Vice-President in 1993. Bill and Linda left the Midwest behind and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in the beautiful Sonoran desert.
Bill had the heart of an entrepreneur. After a few years in corporate life, he left Sendero in 1996 to start his second independent firm, McGuire Performance Solutions. He became a nationally-known authority in bank asset/liability management. His engaging communication style and brilliant mind influenced a generation of bankers and bank legislation compliance. In 2014, he successfully negotiated the company's acquisition and in 2016 began to enjoy a well-earned retirement of creative tinkering.
Bill loved classic cars, with a particular affection for Studebaker and Austin Healey. He served on the board of two non-profits, Native Seeds/SEARCH and Premier Alliances. He was a native bee enthusiast and spotter for the National Weather Service. He had recently purchased a home in Bisbee, Arizona, and was actively engaged in the community and planting a spectacular garden.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick D. McGuire Sr. and Marie (Weston) McGuire, both of Elyria. He is survived by his wife Linda Peck, of Scottsdale, Arizona, daughter Jennifer, of Ennis, Montana, sister Sheila Ann (Marshall) of South Bend, Indiana, brother Fred D. Jr., also of South Bend, brother James J. of Elyria, brother David L. also of Elyria, and brother Henry W. of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was also uncle and great-uncle to numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
Tributes
"Bill and I were close friends our last two years at Elyria High School . I helped him restore his Triumph TR 3 ,at his fathers junk yard . We stayed close when he went to college . I was best man in his wedding to his first wife . He bought a vw van from the dealer I worked at in Lorain .Ohio ,when he got out of the army . "
"Linda and I ?met? years ago by playing ?Words with Friends.? We became real friends through the game, and when my husband and I were in Arizona (from Massachusetts) for our niece?s wedding in April 2019, we finally met in person. Linda and Bill planned a lovely evening - dinner at the Botanical Gardens followed by walking around the gardens for the wonderful Electric Cactus show. From the moment we all met, it was if we had known each other forever. Bill?s enthusiasm about the gardens was itself electric. And he was fascinated by everything. We looked forward to getting together again, and are very grateful that we had that fabulous evening. Linda, we are thinking about you in our hearts and remembering you and Bill in our prayers. Love, Wendi and Greg "