William Irvin

Today, William "Bill" Irvin, passed quietly away at his home in Ft. Collins. Affectionately known as "Hoppy" when he worked at the Howes Street Post Office, Bill was a fixture at the front windows from 1966 through his retirement in 1985. Bill and, his wife of 62 years, Camille, were strong advocates for the Larimer County Foster Care program. During their 19-year tenure with the organization, they served as foster parents for 42 children. This was in addition to the multitude of foreign exchange students, unwed mothers, and private placements they sponsored over the years. Their home was always open to those who, as Camille said, "Only need someone to provide them with a little love and attention." Before they moved to Ft. Collins in 1963, Bill spent over 20 years in the US Navy as a cook in the submarine service, where he earned the nickname, "Ma". His experiences during World War II were recently captured in a video produced by the Northern Colorado Veteran's History Project. Copies of the video are available for viewing at local libraries as well as the Library of Congress. Always active, Bill was a member in the Navy Fleet Reserve, the Veteran's of Foreign Wars (VFW), Submarine Veteran's of WWII, the Knights of Columbus, and the Slightly Older Adult Players (SOAP) Troupe, an acting company where he played a variety of rolls both on, and behind, the stage. Bill is survived by his wife, Camille; his four adopted sons, Leon, Michael, Martin and Tony; 9 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be from 6:00 until 8:00 pm Friday, May 11 at St. Joseph Catholic Church with recitation of the rosary at 7:00. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:00 am Saturday, May 12th at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Interment, with full military honors will be in Grandview Cemetery.