Obituary of William T. Motto

William T. "Bill" Motto passed away at the age of 94 on Saturday, June 30 in Syracuse. Born in New Britain, CT in 1924, Bill graduated from New Britain High School where he was a star quarterback and defensive back for his state championship football team. While in high school, he met the love of his life - Rena Mirabelli - who would be his wife for 69 years before her passing in 2015.
Upon graduation from high school, Bill enlisted in the Navy during WWII and served as a Chief Petty Officer on a Naval repair ship in the European theater. He also was the quarterback for the traveling Naval football team that played in various ports and stadiums during the War.

After the War, Bill returned home to marry Rena and also to make an important choice. Having been offered a professional baseball contract that would have required him to begin training in Florida, Bill decided instead to use the GI Bill to get his college education and begin his and Rena's family and his business career. As the first person in his family to receive a college degree, he started in business as an accountant and rapidly progressed into a number of management positions in the lumber and housing industry. In the early 1960's he began working for Weyerhaueser Company in East Hartford, CT and in 1963 moved to Syracuse with his young family to become the general manager of Weyerhaueser's Syracuse branch office.
During his career, Bill was an entrepreneur who owned home building companies in Syracuse and Oswego. In 1978 he founded W.T. Motto Building Products - a leading component manufacturer and supplier of home building products in Central New York. He also served as the Associate's Vice President for the Home Builders' Association of CNY and was honored as the NYS Associate of the Year in 1985.

Bill and Rena retired to West Palm Beach, FL in 1991 where he continued to stay organizationally active as the captain of the Bear Lakes Country Club's interclub team that competed in the Southeast Florida interclub league that won six consecutive league titles during his tenure as captain. Bill enjoyed golf, sports (an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan), reading (Patterson and Baldacci), singing (his old stand-bys) and MOST ESPECIALLY time spent with his family who admired him for his insights and wisdom and adored him for his easy-going manner.
He is survived by his son Bill and daughter-in-law Kathy (Maurer) Motto, daughter Kathy and son-in-law John Hall, grandchildren Christine Hall, Todd Motto, Kelly Hall, and Ryan (Colleen McCarthy) Hall, step-grandchildren Jonathan (Emily) Dutch, Emily Dutch, and Megan (John) Moore, great-grandchildren Emmett and Regin Hall, step-great-grandchildren Ruby and Esti Dutch, and sister Ann Motto.

Services: 10 am Saturday July 7, at Our Lady of Hope Church (formerly St. James) 4845 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13205, where a Memorial Mass will be celebrated.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to have contributions made to the American Cancer Society, 6725 Lyons St, East Syracuse, NY 13057.