Editor’s Note: Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini ordered the city hall flag to be lowered to half-staff in honor of former City Councilor and Deputy Chief of Staff William J. Macek, who died Tuesday.
William J. “Bill” Macek.
William J. Macek, 71, a native and lifelong resident of Haverhill, died April 18, at Lawrence General Hospital after being stricken at his home.
A former longtime Haverhill city councilor and community leader, he was the son of the late John and Stella (Paone) Macek. He was educated in the Haverhill school system and was a member of the Haverhill High School class of 1969. He went on to attend Northeast Broadcasting School in Boston and later received his First Class License from the Radio Engineering Institute in Sarasota, Fla. Macek spent much of his career in broadcasting as a professional radio announcer and, over the years, owned several radio stations, including WINQ of Wichendon; WMOO in Derby, Vt.; WIKE in Newport Vt.; and WEIM in Fitchburg.
He also obtained his real estate licenses in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, concentrating on sales and development as an owner of Macek & Company. He later obtained his master’s degree from Cambridge College and his law degree from Massachusetts School of Law and was a partner in the practice of general, business and family law at Thomas Taranto Law in Wakefield.
A well-known community servant, Macek served 13 two-year terms as a Haverhill city councilor, one of them as vice president, and served on several committees including the Haverhill Housing Partnership, Haverhill Master Plan and Zoning Review Committee and several decades on the Haverhill Downtown Parking Commission. He was currently serving as deputy chief of staff for Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini.
He was a member of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Association of Broadcasters, a member of the Massachusetts Bar, several local chambers of commerce and the Greater Haverhill Board of Realtors, and donated his time to many other local community associations.
An avid sports fan of all New England and Boston teams, Macek enjoyed traveling to Bermuda and the Bahamas and across the U.S. and Canada, visits to timeshares and several cross-country trips with his son.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his devoted wife of 50 years, Maria (Di Pirro) Macek; son and daughter-in-law, Daniel C. and Amber Macek of Lyndonville, Vt.,; son, Nicholas A. Macek of West Hollywood, Calif.; grandchildren, Haleigh B. Gould, Ashton T. Gould and Greyson C. Macek, all of Vermont; sister-in-law Patricia Finlay-Hamilton and her husband Robert, of Groton; brother-in-law Thomas DiPirro and his wife Nancy of Plaistow, N.H.; cousins, especially Joy (Cunningham) Piecuch of Haverhill, and Chuck and Stephen Paone of New Hampshire and several nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are invited to calling hours to be held on Friday, April 21, from 4-8 p.m. at Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main St., Plaistow, N.H. His funeral will begin on Saturday at 9:15 a.m. from the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. in Saint James Church, Winter St., Haverhill. Burial will follow in Saint Joseph Cemetery. To send a message of condolence to the family, please visit brooksidechapelfh.com.