1943-2013 William H. Briggs, Jr., 70, of 66 Briggs Drive, Cheshire, died Sunday, November 10, 2013, at Berkshire Medical Center. Born in Adams on November 10, 1943, the son of the late William H. Briggs, Sr., and Vernon Bush Briggs, he was educated in Cheshire and Pittsfield schools. He served with the United States Army National Guard during the Viet Nam War era. A well-known Cheshire businessman since 1968, Mr. Briggs developed and built Pine Valley Mobile Home Park which he and his wife Diane owned and operated from 1984 to 2003. From 1970 to 1973, he was a partner in Cheshire Mobile Homes. In 1989, he developed Briggs Drive in Cheshire. He was also the owner-operator of Bill's Auto Sales and Service in Cheshire from 1976 to 1984, Mr. Briggs has been a member of the Cheshire Board of Health since 2004. He was very devoted to his family, especially his grandkids, and to his friends. He enjoyed riding his Harley. Mr. Briggs leaves his wife, the former Diane R. Bialas, whom he married October 17, 1980. He is also survived by a daughter, Lisa Barnes of Cheshire; a son, Rodney Briggs of Cheshire; two sisters, Bette Stano and her husband, Nathaniel, of Winchester, Conn., and Bernice Hanvey of Milford, New Hampshire; two grandchildren, Joshua Jarvis and Kassandra Jarvis, and a stepgrandson, James Jarvis; nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews; as well as brothers- and sisters-in-law, including David and Julie Bialas of Cheshire, and his mother- and father-in-law, Chester and Pat Bialas of Pittsfield. FUNERAL NOTICE: The funeral for William H. Briggs, Jr., will be held Thursday, November 14, beginning at 9:15 a.m. from DERY-CHESHIRE FUNERAL HOME with services at 10:00 a.m., at St. Mary of the Assumption Church with Rev. William D. Furey officiating. Burial will follow in Cheshire Cemetery. Calling hours will be held Wednesday (today) from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Bill may be made to Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department or to the Adams Ambulance Service both in care of DERY-CHESHIRE FUNERAL HOME, P.O. Box 445.

Published in North Adams Transcript on Nov. 13, 2013