WILLIAM HARRIS POLLARD

William Harris Pollard, age 90, of Traverse City, passed away at Autumn House on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, and entered into the loving arms of his Savior Jesus Christ.

Bill was born to Ardis and William Pollard on March 17, 1935. He is survived by his wife of almost 70 years, Mary. Also survived by his two children, Pamela and Timothy (Donna) Pollard, Siblings: Damon, Ardelis Matthews, Dan (Carol), Don, Curt (Louise), Kent (Nancy), and Randy (Joan) Pollard. Grandchildren: Carlo (Meg) Fabbrini, Marco Fabbrini, and Sergio (Melanie) Fabbrini, Britton (Kolby) Smith, and Lauren (Travis) Bowen. Great grandchildren: Savine, Selah and Sloan Smith, Judah and Simeon Bowen, Levi and Noel Fabbrini.

Bill graduated from Onaway High School in 1953 and had aspirations to save money and begin a business of his own. He worked on the John J. Bowland and Detroit Edison boats for two seasons. He met the love of his life, Mary, a teacher at Mulke School and in front of her classroom filled with students, proposed to her. They were married on Aug. 19, 1955. Together, they started Pollard Builders, moving from Onaway to Alpena. Bill was a creative visionary in his business. He began with building simple homes which led him to prefabricate them in his shop. He started a roof truss plant and developed many housing and condo projects across Northern Michigan. His love for building and work ethic were evident in all he did. You could still find Bill tinkering in his shop or driving a bulldozer well into his eighties.

Bill had many hobbies from rescue diving to demolition derby. He loved old cars. He restored and collected many and was involved in Traverse City’s Crankin T’s. He built furniture and later in life carved many wooden characters, trinkets, and toys for his great grandchildren. He raced both sailboats and snowmobiles as he loved competition. He was a “larger than life” character. In Alpena, they referred to him as “Wild Bill” and somehow that name followed him to Traverse City.

His greatest passion in life was his commitment to the Lord. Bill didn’t do anything small nor was he one to mince words. His love for the Lord spilled over as he actively shared the gospel with each individual God put in his path and gave back to the church in astounding ways. He began a bus ministry in the 1970s that provided transportation for families to come to church each Sunday in Alpena. He was a passionate member of the Gideons for over 50 years. He led mission building projects in Kosovo, Guyana, Alaska, and Papua New Guinea. He helped with Bible camps across Michigan. He was an active member of both Ripley Blvd Baptist Church in Alpena, MI, and East Bay Calvary in Traverse City.

Bill loved being a father and a grandfather. His business was a family business and he included his children, Tim and Pam, in all he did. As a grandfather, Bill valued each of his grandchildren and great grandchildren individually, and loved spending time with them all. His grandchildren loved sailing, snowmobiling, and working with him. With his charm, laugh, and spontaneity, he was able to make even tasks like painting walls, laying flooring, or burning brush a wild adventure. His tenacity and joy lives on in each subsequent generation.

The funeral will be held at East Bay Calvary Church, 2225 East Hammond Road, Traverse City on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour before. The service will be live-streamed on East Bay Calvary church’s website as well as their YouTube and Facebook page. A luncheon will follow the service. The burial and committal will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Alpena, MI, with the family. Memorial contributions may be given to Gideons International, P.O. Box 97251 Washington, DC 20090-7251. To leave a message for the family, please visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.