William Albert "Bill" Page

William Albert “Bill” Page, 87, planned and engineered and tinkered, but at the end he rested and passed peacefully from this life on Sunday, May 3, 2026. Born in 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was raised by his mother, Helen Fitzpatrick Nicholson, in Brainerd, Minnesota, alongside an extended Irish Catholic family. Bill left home at the age of 16 and moved to Chicago to work in the stockyards.

Bill made his way to California and joined the United States Navy at age 17. He worked as an electronics technician, earned his GED, and sailed the world, most memorably on an icebreaker that pulled decommissioned destroyers to the South Pacific. He was honorably discharged at age 21 and briefly attended the California Maritime Academy. While taking a chemistry class at a Los Angeles community college, his assigned lab partner was Ruth Irene Mackey. They married in San Luis Obispo in a late-night ceremony officiated by her brother and went on to have four children. Ruth financially supported Bill through college as a teacher, and in 1965 he graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering.

Bill embarked on a career in the oil industry that spanned 30 years. His job required frequent moves all over the world: Texas, Louisiana, California (with a short stay in Seattle), Malaysia, Norway, and Alaska. Early in his career he helped with the construction of the Alaskan pipeline by designing modules that were secured to barges and towed by tugboats to Prudhoe Bay; the modules became the pump stations. At the end of his career, he served as Vice President of a company overseeing pipeline operations.

While his career kept him busy, he also enjoyed time with his family and church congregations, and he frequently led Bible studies. He was famously well-organized, with do-lists and back up plans. He read voraciously and promoted education, serving on two school boards and encouraging his children and grandchildren to attend higher education. He parented with a firm belief that his children could navigate the world independently from a young age, just as he had done.

While living in Norway, cultural norms forced him to slow down, and he enjoyed hiking, cross country skiing, and season tickets to the symphony. Bill enjoyed travelling and had an uncanny ability to obtain tours of power stations, pumping stations, and military boats, even if not technically open to the public. He retired in 1995, eventually settling in Austin, Texas. Bill cared for his mother as she died of cancer, and he cared for his wife Ruth after a debilitating stroke until her death in 2008.

Bill married Jane Mackey Harris in 2008; and they settled in the Abbey Glen Community in Gibsonville, North Carolina, where they made many friends. Bill enjoyed helping neighbors with repairs and other home projects and, as an avid walker, he was often seen throughout the community. A man of faith, he attended and taught at North Park Ave. Church of Christ until his health no longer allowed.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Mackey Page. He is survived by his wife Jane Mackey Harris Page; his children Carol Ray, Joel Page, Paul Page, and Sharon Howard and their respective spouses; 13 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Jane’s children and grandchildren.

The family will be having a visitation on Friday, May 8, 2026 from 6:00-8:00PM at Lowe Funeral Home & Crematory. During this time, those who were touched by Bill’s life are invited to gather, share memories, and celebrate the meaningful legacy he leaves behind. Bill will be buried in Austin, Texas, with a graveside service on Tuesday for the immediate family.

Memorials may be made to AuthoraCare, 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215. You may send condolences to the family at www.lowefuneralhome.com