William A. Docherty

A great father and grandfather, William “Billy” A. Docherty, will be remembered for his zest for life and for the incredible love he had for his family. He was a hard worker and a skilled carpenter. He started his career as the “gutter guy,” and then expanded his interests becoming a craftsman and assisted to remodel homes working for various contractors in the area. He was an auto racing fan and a champion Crew Chief at Stafford Motor Speedway. Billy was a winner of NASCAR Gold Wrench Award at Riverside Speedway. He loved watching the Red Sox and was very proud of his Irish heritage. Billy died unexpectedly on September 10, 2017 as a result of a car accident. He was 54 years old. Born in Springfield, Billy’s parents are Charles F. Docherty Sr. and Lois (Drinkwater) Wilson. He is survived by his children: Joshua Docherty of Chicopee, Derek and Cody Docherty of Springfield, Elisabeth LaJoie of East Longmeadow, Ashley Guyer of Enfield Ct and Amanda Summerson of Springfield; his sisters Kathleen Keane of Englewood FL, and Dr. Patricia Ramsay of Henderson, NV; and his brother Charles F. Docherty, Jr. of Springfield; and Poppie’s adored grandchildren: Jason, Corey, Zach, Julia, Alex, Madison, Makenzie, Gavin and Benjamin; and many nieces and nephews. Billy is predeceased by his son Christopher Docherty, his wife Linda (Wescott) Docherty, his mother Lois Wilson and his brother-in-law John Keane. Graveside Service for Billy will be at Greenlawn Cemetery in East Longmeadow on October 4, 2017 at 10:30 am.  Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield, MA. 01104. Forastiere Smith Funeral & Cremation has been entrusted with his arrangements.

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