William Cook Faltermayer ("Big Bill") passed away on September 24, 2023 at Abington Hospital after a short bout with pneumonia. Bill is predeceased by his wife, Liesl, in 2008 after almost 50 years of marriage. They were married in 1958 after Bill attended Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA and served in the US Navy for 2 years. Bill and Liesl raised their 3 children in Wyndmoor, PA and spent many summers and holidays at their cabin in Laporte, PA where Bill could be seen walking the length of Cherry Street every day or working the bingo tent at the Laporte Fireman's Carnival. Bill was born in Philadelphia in 1930 and grew up in Germantown with his parents Joseph and Mabel and his 3 siblings, Joe, Ed and Mary. His father, Joseph, was Assistant Principal at Central High School and Bill often told stories about what it was like to be a student at the school where his father worked. Bill grew up going to Mt Airy Presbyterian Church on Germantown Avenue and was a steadfast member of the Men's Bible Class there well into his 70's, rarely missing a Sunday unless he was on one of his famous train trips.
His 93 years of life were filled with countless time spent on public transportation. On any given day in Philadelphia, you could find him on the Route 23 trolley, Septa commuter trains or the bus. Bill also spent lots of time traveling on national and international rail systems. One of his frequent routes in the US was Amtrak's Broadway Limited between 30 th Street and Chicago. Internationally, he traveled on trains across Russia, Canada and Europe numerous times. His love of public transit, trains and trolleys went beyond being a passenger. He was a member of many organizations, including the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, American Legion, North Penn Rotary, Amtrak and the list goes on. Bill spent over 35 years in banking, working in many places in the Philadelphia area. However, his favorite by far was the bank on the corner in North Wales, PA where he would get to know community members and business owners for years to come. After leaving the banking world in 1991, Bill got his real estate license and entered a whole new career. He held his license for almost 20 years.
Bill is survived by his 3 children Rebecca Patti (Gene), William C. Faltermayer Jr. (Cathy) and Joy LoPiccolo (Dave); grandchildren Jacob, Joel, Kyra and Mason; and great-grandchildren Haya and Archer. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Whosoever Gospel Mission, P. O. Box 48308, Phila. PA 19144.