William G. Ambrose, 77, died Wednesday September 2, 2015 following a blessedly brief episode with pancreatic cancer.
He leaves his wife of 53 years, Priscilla Wilder Ambrose; his daughter, Fonda Ambrose Hereford (Page) of St. Louis, MO; his daughter, Dr. Edith Rosepha Ambrose (Yakir Katz) of New Orleans, LA; his son, David Montague Ambrose (Beto Guimaraes) of Portland, OR; his daughter, Rachel Cady Ambrose (Michael Howe) of South Portland, ME; and five grandchildren -- Sally, Thomas and Emily Hereford and Talia and Sivan Katz Ambrose.
Born in Decatur, IL and raised in Whitewater, WI, Bill was the third and youngest son of Stephen H. Ambrose, MD, and Rosepha Trippe Ambrose. He is pre-deceased by his brothers, Harry T. Ambrose and Stephen E. Ambrose.
Bill graduated from Whitewater High School and University of Wisconsin, Madison where he was a proud brother of Chi Psi fraternity. He attended Officer Candidates School in Pensacola, FL and his first naval assignment was on Midway Island where he was part of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. While there, he met Priscilla who was teaching school. Later, Bill earned an MBA from Syracuse University.
Bill’s corporate career began in Corning, NY where the family lived for 17 years. Corning Glass took them to Durham, England and Ridgewood, NJ. They finally settled in North Yarmouth, ME where they owned Concepts in Comfort, Bradco Chair Manufacturing Co., and in retirement, Walnut Hill Antique Chair Repair. In 1998, Bill was named Maine’s SBA Small Business Person of the Year. He was a fortunate man to have made a successful and rewarding second career in one of his favorite avocations - woodworking.

Mr. Ambrose had many other passions and interests. He was a great athlete and excelled at the thrill sports of skiing, swimming and high dive diving (gainers were a specialty). He served on local ski patrols and took his family on memorable ski trips. He was an avid golfer and over his lifetime had two holes-in-one! He was a devoted tennis player, still playing regularly until his last months of life. He gardened and grew his own seedlings wherever he lived, and especially at his beloved cottage in Friendship, ME. He was an ardent birder and achieved a significant life list. Card playing and other games were skills of his -- sheepshead in college, gin rummy and bridge (online, too), chess, cribbage and sudoku - he was good at them and taught many others. He taught himself to sail and spent many hours in Friendship Harbor and in cat boat races on Elsa, and plying the waters of Muscongus Bay aboard Caroline, his classic wooden picnic/lobster boat.
Although he grew up in the Midwest, Bill adopted and loved all the New England professional sports teams. In 2004, he and Priscilla were thrilled to be at the game in St. Louis when the Red Sox won the World Series. Bill was an active member of North Yarmouth Congregational Church. A funeral service will be held there for him on Friday, October 9, 2015 at 11:00am. He was on the board of Skyline Farm, where he was seen daily birding and walking his beloved apricot standard poodle, Dobie. If one should wish, donations in his memory may be sent to Skyline Farm - 95 The Lane, North Yarmouth ME 04097.