William Albert Talbot

William Albert Talbot Age 86. Resided in Livonia, Michigan; went home to be with the Lord on September 10, 2019. Cherished husband of the late Mildred Lilian Talbot. Loving father of Stephen (Karen), John (Nancy), James (Lisa) and Ruth (Donald) Cadoret. Adoring grandfather of Ryan (Alexa), Elizabeth (Ben) Hunt, Virginia (Mike) Donohoe, Michael, Joseph (Amanda), Carleton, Faith, Samuel, Jonathan (Alivia), Scott, Lauren, Benjamin and Emma. Dear great-grandfather of Evelyn, Margaret, Susannah, Edmund, Ada and Madison. Son of the late Albert Benjamin and Jessie (Hollebon) Talbot. Loving brother of Maureen (Robert) Alderman of Great Britain. Bill Talbot was born in England in the town of Barking, Essex on November 7, 1932 and was raised in Dagenham, Essex. As a six-year-old, he was evacuated without his parents from the London area to the English countryside prior to Britain’s entry into WWII. Before his father left to serve overseas in the British Merchant Navy, Bill was brought back home to be with his heartbroken mother. From his backyard just outside London, young Billy had a front-row seat for the Battle of Britain. He loved watching RAF Spitfires chase down Luftwaffe bombers in the skies above. By listening for the sudden stop of engine droning, Billy became good at predicting how many seconds remained before incoming German V1 buzz bombs would land and explode. He and his mother took refuge in their backyard bomb shelter and on mornings after aerial raids, Billy and his friends would tour their neighborhood to survey the latest damage. At the age of 11, Billy suddenly lost his adoring mother, requiring him to live with his grandmother until his father returned from the war. Bill’s childhood during wartime and the loss of his mother made indelible impressions on his life. After finishing school at the age of 14, Bill left home to become an apprentice electrician. He progressed in his trade, gaining experience working on old wiring in London’s historic buildings. This began Bill’s 72-year career in the electrical industry, from which he never fully retired. As an aspiring electrician, Bill met a lovely young woman by the name of Mildred Suett, the daughter of a numbers-runner for the local town bookie. Bill rode a motorcycle that he had restored in his parent's back room and he took Millie for rides all over London. They once took an uneventful spill and Bill picked up his bike before picking up Millie. Bill and Millie accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior on the same night at the Elim church in the town of East Ham; they were married in Dagenham, Essex on February 6, 1954. Bill and Millie lived in Germany for four years while he served in the British Army. He rose to the rank of Sergeant due to his proficiency in rewiring gun control systems inside Centurion tanks. With a flair for calculated risk-taking, Bill and Millie bade farewell to their families in England in 1958 and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth to begin new lives in America. They had barely enough money to buy return tickets. Arriving to a party atmosphere and green-painted streets in New York City on St. Patrick's Day, they assumed Americans were always celebrating. Bill and Millie initially lived with dear friends David and Marie Griffiths in Detroit, who preceded them as immigrants from England. David and Marie gave Bill and Millie their start and helped Bill find employment through friends at church. The Talbot and Griffiths families bonded like cousins and spent holidays together for many years since all their relatives remained in England. Because of his artistic ability, Bill found work in a local design and engineering office. He later joined the architectural firm of Tarapata, MacMahon & Associates in Bloomfield Hills, where he combined exceptional drafting skills with years of hands-on experience to serve as Chief Electrical Engineer for many years. Eventually, Bill earned his journeyman license and resumed working on the tools as an electrician for local contractors. He couldn’t stay away from jobsites. Bill advanced in his career as an IBEW electrician while Millie cared for the four children full-time in Detroit and later in Livonia. In 1970, Bill was offered the opportunity to purchase McGee Electric from his employer. He renamed the family business and relocated it to Livonia, where The Talbot Corporation continues into a third generation under the stewardship of Bill’s son Stephen and his son Michael. Up to the time of his death, Bill made important contributions to company projects and also designed for Vision Electric in Novi, a separate business started by Bill’s son John, who is assisted by his sons Carl, Samuel and Jonathan. Bill’s daughter Ruth is Vision Electric’s office manager. Thus, Bill’s dream of having children and grandchildren follow him into the electrical industry was realized many years ago. Bill’s youngest son Jim is a Creative Editor at Cutters Studios, a film and video post-production firm in Oak Park. Bill was an avid racing and cruising sailor with his various boats named “Sixpence,” in reference to the family’s six members and its British heritage. He was a member of the Detroit Yacht Club for decades and taught sailing to adults in Livonia Public Schools. Bill and Millie shared their love of sailing with others and considered this to be their informal ministry at Highland Park Baptist Church in Southfield. They enjoyed traveling and visited Australia, New Zealand, England, Italy, Hawaii, Florida and the Caribbean. While on vacation in Mexico in 2005, Bill and Millie were evacuated from their hotel and survived the worst of Force 5 Hurricane Wilma for 11 days. Bill had a lifelong love of soccer and coached his sons’ teams when they were young. He was a well-respected coach for many years in Livonia, emphasizing good sportsmanship and fairness above all else. Following 63 years of marriage, Millie passed away in 2017. In his sorrow, Bill continued to find vitality and purpose in his work with his sons. He struggled with cancer and Myasthenia Gravis during his last months of life but kept his Bible and National Electrical Code book with him in the hospital; his faith never wavered and he never stopped learning. Memorial Donations may be directed to: Interserve International, P.O. Box 418, Upper Darby, PA 19082. Please share a memory of Bill on his Tribute Wall..