William Buell

William Buell, 70, of Merrimac, Mass. passed away peacefully on January 6, 2021 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after a courageous battle with lymphoma. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Claire Gérin Buell of Québec and Merrimac, Mass., his son Guillaume and his wife Jessica Buell of Rowley, Mass., and his daughter Elisabeth and her husband Matthew Beane of Salem, Mass. He is also survived by his sister Anne-Margaret and her husband Dennis Baum of Bedford, N.Y. and his beloved extended family and friends in Québec and across the U.S.

William was born in 1950 in New York City and spent more than 30 years as a teacher; most of them at the Pentucket Regional High School, where he taught and mentored thousands of students, including his two children. After retiring, William served as an elected member of the Pentucket Regional School Committee. His family will always cherish running into countless former students who always ask the same question: “How is Mr. Buell? I loved having him as a teacher!”

A lover of history and books, and a devout Catholic, William will be remembered as a man of letters, and as a kind, compassionate, and loving family man. He always put the interests of his family and others first. Those who knew him are better for their time spent with him. A proud American, he honorably served his country in the United States Army after college. He always thought America could face any modern challenge, in light of its ability to do so countless times in its history.

His family will hold a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, William’s family asks that those who knew and loved him donate blood to a local blood bank, or donate to the Mass General Cancer Center (https://giving.massgeneral.org/cancer/donate/). His family is deeply grateful for the incredible care he received from the nurses and doctors at Mass General throughout his battle with cancer.

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