William H. Harrig Jr.

William H. Harrig, Jr. (“Bill”), of Hastings, NY, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 7th at the age of 86, surrounded by his loving family.

Bill was born in Syracuse on October 26, 1939, to the late William Harrig, Sr. and Loretta Harrig. He developed a passion for Harley Davidson motorcycles as a young man while his father owned Bill’s Motorcycle Shop in Syracuse. When his parents sold that shop and opened Bill’s Marine in North Syracuse, Bill worked alongside his father and became well known for his talent as a boat mechanic. He had a passion for tinkering and continued working on vintage outboard motors until he retired in 2019. Bill also worked with his dear friend, Dick Hoppe, at Hoppe Office Supplies in North Syracuse.

Bill loved the water, whether he was at “The River” in Brewerton (the Harrig Family Camp), sitting by the ocean at Daytona Beach, or swimming in his pool with his grandchildren. He loved animals, nature, motorcycles, snowmobiles , boats, old cars, and playing Crazy 8’s, but he especially loved his family and lit up whenever his daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren visited. He spoiled everyone with treats - candy, soda, and his homemade cookies were always on hand. His pets were always by his side, yet his heart always had room for more.

Bill had a passion for music that was unmatched. You could not stop him from singing when Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., or Bo Diddley played. Even when his memory was slipping, he didn’t forget the lyrics! His sense of humor was contagious. He would say his middle name was “Handsome,” and we didn’t question it. He always had a smile on his face, a twinkle in his eyes, and a huge heart.

Bill is survived by his children, Lorretta “Lori” Harrig, Cynthia Harrig and Brenda (Gregory) Vogt; grandchildren Tanya (Jamie) Jackson, Amanda Tobin (Benn), Douglas (Amber) Tobin, Dustin Tobin, Joshua (Kelsie) Vogt and Zachary (Rachael) Vogt; great grandchildren Bella, Tyler, Liam, Violet, Douglas and Leroy; siblings Richard (Patricia) Harrig and Kathleen Elsey, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

He is predeceased by his wife, Kathy Harrig; sisters Shirley (Gregory) Blaisdell and Sally (Denny) Shaughnessy.

We look forward to sharing memories and stories with family and friends during a celebration of life gathering, which will be held at a later date. Until then, as Bill/Dad/Grandpa would say, “see you later alligator … in a while crocodile!”

In lieu of gifts or flowers, please consider donating to fund dementia research in Bill’s name.

To leave a message of condolence for Bill’s family, or to share a special memory of Bill, please sign the guestbook below.