Bayard Taylor "Bob" Mcwilliams

Bayard Taylor McWilliams died on October 9, 2015 in Somerville, New Jersey after a short illness. He was 90.

Bayard, known as Bob, was born on December, 12, 1924 in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania to parents Howard and Julia (Jones) McWilliams. During World War II, Bob was conscripted in the U.S. Army and later served as an army engineer on reconstruction in Vienna. After working for Boeing and later the U.S. Army, he set up his own forensic engineering firm.

Bob loved life, his family and travel. After retirement, he and his wife, Lillian, split their time between New Jersey and Florida, when they weren't engaging in their passion for travel abroad. Successful in business, his priority was always living his life with respect, doing what was right and treating people with decency. "There is a purpose to our lives, a need to laugh, and a need to stick with our moral principles," he once wrote. "To do so may not make us rich, but we can still sleep well…I do not fear death, I accept it as a part of living."

Bob is survived by his second wife, Lillian, whom he married in 1982. He is also survived by his son from his first marriage, James McWilliams, and daughter-in-law, Elaine McWilliams, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He also has three stepdaughters and nine step grandchildren. His first wife, Olga (Bonnie) McWilliams predeceased him, as did his oldest son, Robert McWilliams.

"And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche." (Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales)
Bob's funeral service will begin at 12:30 PM, Thursday October 15, 2015, at The Presbyterian Church, Westfield, NJ. Burial with honors will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield. Arrangements by Gray Funeral Directors, Westfield, A Life Celebration Home.