William W. Goade

William Goade, 70 years old, died November 1, 2023, at his favorite place on earth-his beachfront house in Florida. With his subtle wit and sense of humor, he would have been pleased with the irony of dying on the Day of the Dead. Bill was a true Bostonian and successful businessman. He attended Tufts University and only left Boston for two years to attend Wharton Business School. When he returned to Boston, he founded Avalon Partners, later Cresa Partners, in 1985. Under his leadership, it became the largest tenant-only commercial real estate company in North America. It now has an international presence as well. His business philosophy was “do the right thing, have fun and it will be profitable.” Cresa Partners was consistently ranked as one of the best places in Boston to work. He was a mentor to many and was always available to lend a helping hand or offer valuable advice. When asked about a problem, his last words would always be “do the right thing”. He was loyal and had many close friends, even from kindergarten. His life philosophy was to treat others as you wish to be treated, be kind, be tolerant, and always overtip. He allowed the use of his beachfront house for vacations and parties and never turned down a request for a visit. He was incredibly generous to all his relatives and “Christmas at Bill’s” was a long-standing family tradition. Thanksgiving at Bill’s became a tradition when one of his nephews attended a nearby art school and brought 10-20 of his closest art friends for a yearly feast. Many of his nieces and nephews and their friends enjoyed yearly Spring Breaks and weekends at the beach. Bill welcomed them all. Bill was a generous philanthropist, giving to many worthy causes. Donations in his name can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Jimmy Fund, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation or the charity of your choice. Bill is preceded in death by his parents, William and Mary Goade, and his sister, Mary Ellen Goade Carmichael. He is survived by his sister Gracia Goade Cummings; his long-time significant other Sandra Penna; his seven nieces and nephews and their spouses; his eight grand nieces and nephews and his two brothers-in-law. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for December 28th at his Florida home where, once again, it will be Christmas at Billy’s, no doubt the last one. We will sing Shower the People You Love with Love, our annual Christmas Carol. He will be missed by many. We hope he is in the Here After playing golf and hitting his long drive. To sign Bill's guest register or to leave online condolences please visit www.ShikanyFuneralHome.com. Arrangments are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home Family Owned and Operated Since 1978.

William W. Goade

September 18, 1953 - November 2, 2023