William H. Houle Jr.

BRADFORD – William (Cap’n Bill) Houle, Jr., 93 years old, died after a long battle with Parkinson’s and Cancer on August 7, 2025, at Berlin Health and Rehabilitation. He was born January 22, 1932, in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of William and Elizabeth (Gero) Houle.
Bill attended Spaulding High School in Barre, Vermont, after which he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served in the Korean War as an airplane mechanic until October 1959. His stations included Geneva, New York, Biloxi, Mississippi, San Antonio, Texas, Amarillo, Texas and Del Rio, Texas. During this time, Bill was a member of a motorcycle club and traveled extensively across the state of Texas with members who later became his brothers- and sisters-in-law. On his travels, Bill met his first wife, Alice Hediger, and they were married on April 14, 1956, and settled in Texas. Bill was a wonderful father to Alice’s six existing children, they had two together, and they opened their hearts and home to two adopted sons. Bill and Alice divorced in September 1986, and Bill later reconnected with a lovely woman he knew growing up in Vermont. Bill and Loraine Devins married on September 27, 2003, and resided in Corinth, Vermont, but due to illness had to relocate to assisted living in Montpelier in 2022 and in Bradford in 2025. Bill was a loyal member of the Riverside 455 Grange in West Topsham, full life member of American Legion, and Masters, Mates & Pilots Union, from which he retired after working as a Tugboat Master, traveling around the world from 1959 to 2003. Bill was a skilled woodcarver, Master leathercrafter, mechanic and gardener, and a gifted artist. He loved music and reading the Bible.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Elizabeth Houle, his sister, Gloria Miller, and stepchildren Joyce McKey, Danny Wyatt, Larry Wyatt, Richard Hurst and Terry Hurst. He is survived by his wife, Loraine Houle, daughter Lauren Schultz, sons George, Bryan, Larry and Gary, sisters Linda Houle Gordon, Joyce Houle Sabens, and Diana Houle Combs, as well as many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, August 18, at 1:00 p.m., at East Corinth Congregational Church at 645 Village Road, East Corinth, VT 05040, followed by interment at East Corinth Cemetery at 2:00 p.m., Reverend KellyAnn Donahue presiding.
Arrangements by Pruneau-Poli Funeral Home, 58 Summer St., Barre, VT 05641.
Those wishing to express online condolences may do so at: www.pruneaupollifuneralhome.com