William Charles Dumais ("Dewey"), 67, of Marblehead, died at Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, after a tremendous fight to recover from heart surgery.

Bill was born on March 26, 1953, to Valmore and Dorothy (Peach) Dumais of Marblehead. His big sister, Connie, remembers him as a beautiful baby with big brown eyes and light brown hair. His little brother, Mark, remembers playing together in the fields along Broughton Road, building forts, playing army, and throwing snowballs at the passing cars on Humphrey Street.

His big brother, Val, remembers teaching him to play baseball and football, which instilled a love of sports that would be with Bill for his entire life. As a young boy, he participated in the town's summer parks-and-rec leagues, at Gatchells Pit, and he loved to play Pickle under the Fountain of Youth. He played Little League baseball and Midget football, and when he got too old for both, he became the official scorekeeper. He played soccer in high school, where his friends remembered him as their intramural league's favorite goal tender. As an adult, he spent countless hours (right up until the week of his death) cheering for (or cursing out) the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots (not to mention professional golf). But Dewey wasn't just a fan of sports. He walked the sidelines as a baseball and football coach, helping the younger generations build their love for sports.

His former wife, Cathy, laughed while remembering how, at their wedding reception in June 1986, which was right after the Celtics won their 16th championship, the Boston side of the family danced like maniacs in celebration of the win, while her Philadelphia side sat with their arms folded, just glowering at the Bostonians' Celtics-fueled joy.

After high school, Bill hung with the boys at Noone's Cellar, where the fun was interesting and the hijinks were many. He worked for the Marblehead Cemetery Department for several years, supervising the summer crews and plowing the town's streets after the snowstorms. A hard worker and man of many talents, Bill worked a variety of jobs throughout his life: installing fences, trimming trees, and then entering the food business, cooking at restaurants all along the shore, including the Dolphin Yacht Club.

While he loved sports, and got a real charge from debating politics, his heart belonged to his three boys, Matt, Tim, and Danny. You really hadn't seen Bill smile until you saw him watching his boys from afar, the pride evident, the love clear, and the hope he had for their future.

Along with his three sons, Bill leaves behind his former wife, Cathy (Anderson) Dumais, his siblings and their spouses, Val and Sue Dumais, Connie and Kevin Callahan, and Mark and Lisa Dumais, as well as their children, and grandchildren. He was also a friend of Bill W.

The family will hold a memorial celebration for Dewey in the Spring of 2021. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, PO BOX 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168. The family would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Massachusetts General for the wonderful care they showed towards our father, brother, uncle, and friend.