William F. (Bill) Laidler, Master Electrician, teacher to hundreds, mentor to many and a friend to all he met – died on January 20, 2022,                          after a brief illness. He spent most of his life in Hanover, recently retiring to The Pinehills in Plymouth. He was 73.

Bill was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Eileen and Ernest Laidler. Raised in Abington, Massachusetts, he graduated from South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School (SSVT) in 1967. While a student at SSVT, he began his lifelong profession and passion, the electrical trade. Soon after graduating Bill began working with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 223 of Taunton and quickly earned a reputation as a hardworking and knowledgeable electrician throughout the union hall. He passed his journeyman and master’s licenses shortly after he began working in the trade. He was drafted into the service of his country during the Vietnam War and served as an electrician in VietNam with the United States Naval Construction Battalion, better known as the Seabees. He returned home after his brother was killed in VietNam and continued to work in the electrical trade on large IBEW construction projects throughout the area.

In 1976, after completing his teaching certification at Fitchburg State College, he started as an instructor at SSVT in the electrical shop. This was the beginning of thirty-five years of service to many hundreds of young men and women in the community. Bill’s enthusiasm for the trade infused his classroom and his goal was, first and foremost, student success. He ran his shop like a jobsite and this energized his students and prepared them for their first jobs. His never-ending dedication to his students yielded many successful graduates, whom he continued to mentor. He was an active Advisor to the state’s Vocational Industrial Clubs of America program, arranging qualifying rounds for Massachusetts’ vocational students within their discipline and coordinating national competition attendance for many years.

Bill’s other passion was electrical safety. He served as the Wiring Inspector for the Town of Hanover from 1978-2018. He served as the Wiring Inspector representative on the Massachusetts Board of Fire Prevention Regulations. In addition to his service as a board member, he co-chaired the Massachusetts Electrical Code Advisory Committee and he chaired the Massachusetts Electrical Code Interpretations Committee. He also participated in the construction and adoption of the National Electrical Code for the National Fire Protection Association as a member of Code Making Panel 6 representing the IBEW. He was known nationwide for his professionalism, dedication, and technical expertise. Up until his recent illness, he taught fifteen-hour Massachusetts Electrical Code courses required for licensed electricians every three years for the Massachusetts Electrical Contractors Association chapters as well as local employers.

Bill loved to travel with family and friends throughout his life. He and his wife traveled widely. Whether it was visiting the pyramids of Giza, traveling Europe from St. Petersburg to Rome, or fishing with his sons in Grand Teton National Park, Bill was up for seeing the world and meeting new people. Bill also built his dream home in Waterford, Maine. Starting from just a wooded plot of land, Bill and his wife built a beautiful cabin in the woods of Maine on Lake McWain. His family spent countless summers with Bill, fishing, hiking, and boating on Sebago and many winters on the ski slopes of Sunday River, Shawnee Peak and Mt. Abrams.

Bill is survived by his wife Patricia Ganley Laidler, his son, Andrew Laidler and his wife, Corinne Kelley of San Diego, his daughter-in-law, Nicole Robaina-Santiago of Mansfield and his beloved grandsons, Liam and Ethan Laidler of San Diego and his sister-in-law, Mary Montanari and her husband, Jim of Norwell. He is predeceased by his parents, his brother, Ernest, and his son, Christopher. He will be very much missed by all his family, friends, and colleagues.