William "Bill" Ralph Pressly

William “Bill” Pressly passed away surrounded by his loved ones at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland on July 23, 2024, at the age of 63. He was a loving husband to Nancy Pressly for 34 years. 

Bill was born on January 6, 1961, in Key West, Florida to James and Nelda Pressly. He attended Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Virginia and obtained his engineering degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he met his wife, Nancy. Bill spent 40 years in service of the federal government, in the Department of the Navy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The Pressly Family has lived in Frederick County for the last 35 years, where Bill had been an active member of the local community. 

Bill loved to spend his days with a tool or two in hand. He was a gifted builder and tinkerer, and his talents were the backbone of many local theater productions, including the Middletown High School Drama Department, the Rockville Civic Ballet, and the Victorian Lyric Opera Company, among others. In 2024, he was honored to be nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Set Construction and Set Design in a Musical by the Washington Area Theater Community Honors. Beyond building sets, Bill was a beloved mentor to many students who made their way through the Middletown High School Drama department. 

His children remember him as a devoted and loving father who could solve any problem and who was actively involved in all of their passions. Along with his wife, Bill was a core part of their local Frederick swimming community at their high school and the Frederick YMCA. He also instilled in them a love of Halloween; the family often visited Halloween events and hosted haunted houses at Middletown High and in Occoquan, Virginia. Additionally, he was a doting cat dad who loved their companionship as office assistants. 

In addition to his wife Nancy, Bill is survived by his parents, James and Nelda Pressly; his four children and their partners, James Pressly and Katie Rose, Andrew Pressly and Whitney Mask, John Pressly and Jodi Dowis, and Kathryn Pressly; and his sister, Merial Currer.  

A visitation for friends and loved ones is scheduled for 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Sunday, July 28, 2024, at the Stauffer Funeral Home on Opossumtown Pike in Frederick, Maryland. His family will have a private interment at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local theater or arts program on his behalf.