William Moore Passano Jr.

William M. Passano Jr., (Bill Jr.) passed away peacefully at Blakehurst Retirement Community on May 6, 2026 where he resided for the past 15 years. Bill was born at the Union Memorial Hospital on February 8, 1929 in Baltimore, MD where he spent the majority of his youth and adult life. Bill attended both the Calvert and Gilman Schools and matriculated from Hampden Sydney College in Farmington, VA in 1953. While attending Hampden Sydney, Bill met the love of his life, Helen Virginia Addington, who was attending Sweet Briar College. Bill and Helen (affectionately known as Honey to her friends and family) were married soon afterwards for 65 years until Honey passed away in 2018. After graduation, the young couple entered into military life at Camp LeJeune, NC where Bill was a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corp. Their first child, Leslie Harwood Passano was born on the base in 1955. Shortly after an honorable discharge, the young family moved back to Baltimore to work in the family printing and publishing business, Waverly Press / Williams & Wilkins. When young William Moore Passano III was born in 1956, it coincided with the family moving to live full time on Gibson Island, where the family homestead remains. Helen Kemp Passano arrived just in time for Christmas in 1958 and the youngest of the family, Joanne Addington Passano arrived in 1961 (deceased November 7, 2025). Bill held numerous positions with “the Dual Organization” both printing at Waverly Press and medical publishing with Williams & Wilkins. In 1972 Bill was named President of both organizations and for the first time a public stock offering was made by Alex Brown & Sons. Being a tightly held company, it was determined that outside professional management was in order and Edward B. Hutton, Jr. (Ted) became the first non-family President of the public company, now called Waverly and Bill became Chairman of the Board of Directors. This combined talent pool, including David Callard, a partner at Alex Brown & Sons was a dynamic team that led to the successful sale of the printing company to Cadmus Communications Corp. in 1993 and eventually the remaining publishing assets in 1998 to Wolters Kluwer, an international Dutch publishing powerhouse. Bill’s retirement coincided with the successful sale of the company in July 1998. Ted gives Bill credit for “having the foresight and courage to recruit a non-family member to lead the organization into the 21st Century and ultimately the sale to Wolters Kluwer.” Mr. Passano’s professional interest in education led him to serve on the boards of the Gilman School, Roland Park Country School, and the Gibson Island Country School; and the boards of the University of Maryland Medical System, the Baltimore-Washington Hospital, and the Kernan Hospital. He was a member of the board at First National Bank of Maryland, later Allied Irish, Planned Parenthood of Maryland, Center Stage, and on the advisory board of the Baltimore Opera. He and his wife donated their home in Bolton Hill to the Gilman School as a residence for young faculty members. Mr. Passano was a lifelong sailor who owned a number of boats over the years with the first being a 29’ wooden Danish built, Kings Cruiser sloop, named Dolphin. The next was Pegasus a brand new fiberglass Chesapeake 32 that proceeded to almost sink on her maiden voyage due to crack when loading the boat on a freighter. Only beaching the boat in front of the house with guests gathering to celebrate the new boat kept it from sinking. Another bigger Pegasus was to follow, a Rhodes 41 and then Carina, J-37 before migrating to powerboats with Stardust, first a Dyer 29 and then a Hunt 33. He was a lifelong member of the Gibson Island Club, serving as President and Commodore of the Gibson Island Yacht Squadron. Also, a member of the Maryland Club, the Society of the Colonial Wars, the Bachelors Cotillion, and a past member of the Elkridge Club. He had homes at Gibson Island, Baltimore, and Spanish Wells in the Bahamas. His wife, Helen Addington Passano, died in 2018. He is survived by Leslie Passano (Thom Ford), Will Passano III (Terry) and Kemp Passano Hill (Tom), 10 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Joanne Passano Bartlett, (Chris) preceded her father on 11/7/2025. A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday June 9, 2026 at St Christopher by the Sea on Gibson Island.

William Moore Passano Jr.

February 8, 1929 - May 6, 2026