William Francis Klessens of Salem, New Hampshire formerly of Somerville and Charlestown Massachusetts has passed away on May 30th 2023 at the Sancta Maria Nursing Facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts after a lengthy illness.

Bill was born in Charlestown Massachusetts on May 19 th 1952 to Margaret Tiernan Klessens and the late William C. Klessens. He was the oldest of four siblings including Neil, Tom, and Sally Klessens. Bill attended St Catherine's in Charlestown through the 4th grade and completed his elementary School at St Ann's in Somerville. While at Saint Ann's, he was an altar boy and Boy Scout. From an early age as a young lad, Bill was an avid philatelist and numismatist. He continued this hobby right up until his last days. He attended Boston College High School and Boston College graduating as a double eagle. Bill was quite an athlete, competing on the Boston College High School swim team and a member of the chess club. He participated in many team sports all of his life such as hockey, softball and volleyball. He used his athletic talents to raise funds for many charities. He swam the Swim for Life, an annual event in Provincetown, Massachusetts for over well over 20 years.

Bill was a voracious reader all of his life and had a storehouse of knowledge for music, literature, history, television and movies. He was a writer and wrote many critiques of movies through the years for the newspapers as well as political commentaries and editorials after his retirement from Verizon. Bill was extremely generous, kind, honest, and and an all around decent human being who deeply loved and cared for others. He was passionate in his work and all of his extracurricular activities. Bill loved to sing and performed regularly for years at karaoke. He spent many years up on the Saco River wrestling turtles with his good friend Ira and also spent a tremendous amount of time on Lake Winnipesaukee and
Winnisquam. He also like to cook and entertain his friends. Bill was blessed with many friends and was extremely grateful and appreciative for their support, friendship, love, and care as we navigated through his final days. His family is very grateful also for their support. He will be missed tremendously and leaves behind many near and dear friends and his loving family, his mother Margaret Klessens, brother Neil (Donna) Klessens of Beverly, brother Thomas(Jean) Klessens of Tyngsboro, and sister Sally Klessens of Somerville and a long time family friend Manuel DeCosta of Somerville. Bill also leaves behind his nephews Michael and Christopher Klessens, nieces Amanda (Robbie) Waters, and Kate(Michael) Szablak. He was also a grand uncle to Jake and Natalie Szablak.

Bill will be waked at the George L. Doherty Funeral Home in Somerville, Mass. on Monday, June 5, 2023 from 4pm to 7pm.

A funeral mass at Saint Ann's will take place on Tuesday June 6th 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Bill will be interred at Holy Cross cemetery following the mass.

In lieu of flowers we suggest a donation to the Easter Seals Organization.