James William "Bill" Speegle, 89, passed away July 15, 2016 surrounded by his family after a brief illness.

Born November 23, 1926, he was raised in Hampton with his six siblings.  Bill attended Hampton High School, and at 17 enlisted in the US Army where he served in the 82nd Airborne during WWII. Upon his return, he worked for Lockwood Brothers.  During that time, he married Katherine Ann Collie from Danville.  They settled in Marlbank Farm, building not one, but two homes where they resided until his death.  There they were members of Grace Episcopal Church.  Summers were spent at their Buckroe Beach home.

In 1981, he founded Hampton Roads Crane & Rigging Co. where he worked until the time of his death. There, he was a member of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association. Among his accomplishments were moving the Waterman's Museum across the York River from Gloucester to Yorktown and the laying of the Monitor's keel at the Mariner's Museum.  Never one to miss a good time, he was also active in the community.  Bill was a founding member of the Peninsula Sports Club and a member of the Hampton Yacht Club, Hampton Roads Assembly, German Club, and Yorktown Rotary Club.  A longtime contributor and season ticket holder to W&M football and basketball games, Bill was bestowed the title of an honorary alumnus to the College.  A remarkable man who lived life to the fullest, Bill worked hard and played hard until the end.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Hobart and Mabel Speegle, and infant grandchild, William Hobart Thompson.  He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Katherine Collie Speegle, and twin children, Elizabeth S. Thompson (Mark) and James W. Speegle, Jr. (Cindy) as well as four grandchildren, Katherine J. and Matthew W. Thompson and Laiken D. and James W. Speegle, III.  He is also survived by six siblings, Virginia Kyle, Hobart Speegle (Jane), Betty Chapman (Milton), Anne Wentworth, Frances Cocke, and Ellen Moseley (Robert).  Also surviving Bill are two sisters-in- law Barbara Collie and Margaret Collie.  He is also survived by twenty nieces and nephews and their families.

The family will receive friends and family Tuesday from 5:00-7:00 PM at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home 245 S. Armistead Ave, Hampton. A funeral service will be conducted at Grace Episcopal Church at 12:00 Noon, Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Burial will be held in the church cemetery immediately followed by a reception in the Parish Hall.

Memorial funds may be made in lieu of flowers to Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown.