William John Bandy, age 82, of Moretown, Vermont died on May 10, 2026 at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, VT surrounded by his family and friends. He was born March 21, 1944 the son of William Bandy and Edith Allard in St. Johnsbury.
Bill lived a long life marked by hard work, strong values, and a deep connection to nature. He served in the US Army Aviation for over 20 years with three tours of Vietnam servicing Huey helicopters. Over the years, he held several jobs including logging in the woods with draft horses, Green Mountain Drilling, ST Paving, and the head of base operations at Sugarbush Ski Resort for over 20 years.
He had many hobbies throughout his life but most especially is remembered for his love of dahlias which he planted along Vermont Route 100B for 30 years to commemorate the veterans who did not return from Vietnam. He worked the woods logging with his two Belgian draft horses, Ben and Joe, for many years and was often called upon by local horse stables as a "horse whisperer" to identify maladies that horses suffered with.
He also loved hunting, fishing, and dancing. He had a natural talent for fixing things, always able to figure out how to make something work again. He also enjoyed tinkering on projects, rebuilding sleighs, spending time with his family, listening to older country music and watching westerns on television
He will be remembered as a man who was stubborn, funny, and deeply caring. Bill spoke his mind and was never afraid to say what he thought, a trait that made him both memorable and loved by those who knew him best.
He is survived by his partner, Karen Maurice, and his stepdaughter, Kathy Unnach and granddaughters, Chayenne and Nikki Dahle-Unnach of Houston, MN. He also leaves behind his sister-in-law, Elaine Bandy; nephews Walter Jr. and Wayne of Sutton, VT and nieces Maggie Brown and Annie Bickford of East Burke, Vermont.
The family invites anyone to join them for a viewing at Perkins-Parker Funeral Home of Waterbury Monday evening, May 18 at 6pm. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, May 20, at 12 noon at Peacham Cemetery and a celebration of life later on in June of this year.
If friends desire, memorial contributions in Bill's name may be made to the Peacham Historical Society.
