William E. Grogan Sr., 91, retired truck salesman
He was a handyman and mechanic who saw every project as a challenge.
JUST THE sight of Bill Grogan made people smile. Whether he was selling you a truck, holding forth at one of the community organizations to which he belonged, doing a job for his church, repairing a car, or building something out of wood, people knew that being around him would make them feel good.
Maybe it was his Irish charm, his rich sense of humor, or just the fact that he was a generous, loving man who was always there to help anyone who needed a lift or a loan.
"I never knew anybody like him," said his son, the Rev. Jim Grogan, a Roman Catholic priest. "He could make you laugh at even the most ordinary things."
William E. Grogan Sr., a retired salesman and leader in the trucking industry, an Army veteran of World War II, a loving family man and a community activist, died Wednesday of natural causes. He was 91 and lived in Brookhaven, Delaware County.
Bill was 11 years old when he started helping out at his father's auto-repair garage at 58th and Master streets in West Philadelphia.
"He got grease in his blood," his son said.
It was a time when automobiles were increasingly popular, although a lot of horses were still clopping around city streets.
It was the beginning of Bill Grogan's fascination with the possibilities of the internal-combustion engine.
It led him into truck sales for Ford, Autocar and White Motor Co. He also worked with vehicle servicing for state and local government agencies in the Philadelphia region. He retired in 1985.
Bill enjoyed working with his hands, doing woodworking and auto repair.
"He would see projects as a chance to work with his family and friends," his family said. "He would never see a problem, but rather a challenge to respond, 'We can do that ourselves!' "
"He would do his own brake jobs," his son said. "He'd say, 'Why pay somebody else to do it?' "
Bill saw any new project as a chance to buy a new tool. He was convinced that you could do anything yourself if you had the right tool, his family said.
Bill was born in Philadelphia to James and Mary Grogan. He graduated from St. Joseph's Prep in 1941, and from St. Joseph's University in 1948.
He served in the Army as an instructor during World War II. He attained the rank of corporal.
Bill was active with the Serra Club, a Catholic organization that supports vocations for the priesthood and the religious life. He was past president of the Del-Chester Club.
Because of his leadership qualities and his outgoing personality, Bill was often called on to be master of ceremonies for events of his church, Our Lady of Charity in Brookhaven, and the Serra Club.
He served as a lector for his church for more than three decades, and on various parish councils.
Bill was proud that two of his sons are priests. Jim was ordained June 6 in the Diocese of Trenton. The Rev. William E. Grogan Jr. is pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Mount Airy, and former president of Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor. Two of Bill's brothers, Thomas F. Grogan and James J. Grogan - both now deceased - were priests.
Bill married the former Nora Loughrey in 1950. They instilled in their children a passion for education.
Besides his wife and two sons, he is survived by another son, Thomas Grogan; three daughters, Maryanne Porter, Patricia Byrnes and Jean Blaisse; 18 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
In addition to his brothers, he was predeceased by a sister, Mary Grogan.
Services: Funeral Mass 11 a.m. tomorrow at Our Lady of Charity Church, 231 Upland Road, Brookhaven. Friends may call at 9 a.m. Burial will be at St. Denis Cemetery, Havertown.