William “Bill” Kroll 1941-2019 Bill Kroll, beloved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, mentor and friend, passed away suddenly on May 7, 2019, at his winter home in Pasadena, California, at the age of 78. Born in Brooklyn, NY, on May 3, 1941, Bill spent his summers exploring the wilderness on Long Island, where his first jobs were picking blueberries and working in a landscape nursery. These experiences cultivated his love of plants. He attended Cornell University and in 1963 graduated with a degree in floriculture and ornamental horticulture. On the same day that he received his college degree, he married “the girl next door,” Doris Holmberg. Together, they raised three daughters in Middle Island, NY. Bill would often say that Doris and his girls made his life complete. Bill and Doris worked side-by-side for 56 years: first in a lawn care business, then as owners of New Horizons Christian Bookshop on Long Island for 25 years, and then as owners of Plantasia Nursery in Spencer, NY, for nearly 25 years. Family, plants and traveling were Bill’s passions. He also loved cruising in his convertible, fishing, nature walks and singing to his wife and girls. He instilled in his daughters and grandchildren a love of traveling and of natural beauty—and for some, his passion for cars. His motto was, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Bill will be remembered as a man of few words who lived with integrity. More than anything, his legacy is the love he had for his family. He is survived by his wife, Doris; his daughters, Dawn, Kristin and Kari; his sons-in-law, Marc Trachtenberg, Chris Ramsay and Ken Bower; his grandchildren, Benjamin, Matthew, Joshua, Makenna, Eliza Mae, Lilli, William and Kurtis; step-sister, Carol; and nieces and nephews. He is reunited in heaven with his parents, William (Sr.) and Olga Kroll, and his brother, Richie. When announcing his retirement, Bill shared, “It has been a joy to work with you making this world more beautiful through the beauty of God’s creation.” In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cornell Botanical Gardens (cornellbotanicgardens.org) in Ithaca, NY, or ECHO (echonet.org) in North Ft. Myers, FL. A celebration of his life will be held on July 13 at their home in Spencer, NY. Contact the family for details.