Bill Borden's Obituary
Bill Borden was born April 22, 1934 in Steubenville, Ohio, the son of the late William W. and Ruth Netting Borden. Bill grew up in Steubenville, graduated from Steubenville High School and attended Bowling Green University. He married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Henry, and together they raised four children. They were married thirty-eight years until her death in 1990.In 1953, at the age of nineteen, Bill became a licensed insurance agent in Ohio. In 1957 he accepted a position with Peninsular Insurance, and moved his family to Fort Myers. During his tenure with Peninsular he worked first as an agent, then as a manager. In 1964 he opened Bill Borden State Farm Insurance, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 1997. Bill was the recipient of many honors while with State Farm including several trips to Europe. He was blessed with a quick wit and a delightful sense of humor which endeared him to his many friends, as well as his clients.After his retirement, Bill enjoyed traveling the country in his motor home, and spending summers in Lake Toxaway, NC. He was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, was an avid boater and a great dancer, as well as a fine musician. Once a serious violin student at, age 24 he was introduced to Barbershop Quartet Singing, and Barbershop Harmony became a life-long passion. Bill sang baritone and or bass with several fine barbershop quartets over the years, performing both in and outside Florida. Until illness forced him to stop performing, he was an active member of The Cape Chorale, a barbershop chorus. In May of 2014 he was proud to be awarded a 50 year pin with the society. He remained a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and a non-singing member of the chorus.In 2007, Mr. Borden was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He was preceded in death by his first wife Pat, his sister Penny, a grandson and great grandson. He is survived by his wife, Karen (Wilkinson) Borden; son, William “Billy” Borden of Columbus, OH; daughters, Susan Willard (Bill) of Auburndale, Patricia Costello (Cole Newton) of Fort Myers, and Barbara Blank (Scott) of Tampa; sister, Barbara Mort of Tucson, AZ; step children, Michael Bennett of Fort Myers and Amy Ware (Benjamin) of South Deerfield, MA; grandchildren, Beth Johnson (Mark), Will Costello, Ryan Costello, Micah Costello, Zoe Ware and Naomi Ware; and five great grandchildren. A Celebration of Bill’s life will be held at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33907. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Hope Hospice, 9470 Healthpark Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908.Condolences may be sent to Bill’s family at www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
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