William "Bill" M. Gelormini, retired owner of Bill's Auto in Woburn, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, May 11, 2026. He was 90 years old.

Bill was born in Cambridge, the son of Italian immigrants, Ray and Aida Gelormini. He grew up and was educated in Somerville. After graduating from Somerville High School, he went on to attend Franklin Technical Institute, where he earned a degree in Automotive Management. He then began working as an automotive mechanic. At the age of 22, he was called to serve his country in the United States Army. He served for nearly two years, including 13 months with the 7th Infantry Division (7th ID) Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC). The 7th Infantry Division was stationed at Camp Casey and deployed to defend the Demilitarized Zone ("DMZ") along the border of North and South Korea. Naturally, Bill was assigned to the motor pool, where he worked on everything from cars to tanks. Even though the two countries were officially at peace, Bill often told the story of being fired upon while retrieving a military vehicle.

After his military service, Bill returned home to Somerville and resumed work as an automotive mechanic. It was there that he met his future wife, Mary Ann Marashio, a Lexington girl, and a courtship soon followed. The couple married on June 17, 1960, and purchased a home in Burlington. He continued working as a mechanic for several shops. In 1977, he partnered with another mechanic to purchase Winn Street Automotive. In 1981, he took over the company and renamed it Bill's Auto, which continues to serve customers at the same Winn Street location in Woburn today.

Bill was an exceptional mechanic. He had an incredible memory, could rattle off part numbers effortlessly, and diagnose a problem with the precision of a doctor using a stethoscope. Once you went to Bill, you became a lifelong customer. In some cases, he serviced four generations of the same family. He was the kind of mechanic you could say to, "Do whatever you think needs to be done," trusting completely that he would only make the necessary repairs. In most cases, he offered same-day service, often staying late into the evening to ensure a customer's car was completed. He even offered Saturday service to make things easier for customers. He may very well have invented the saying "Shock and Awe."

Bill loved people, though he had his own unique way of showing it. His trademark blue sweatshirt and khakis were worn whether it was five below zero or 100 degrees outside. With his male customers, he valued a firm handshake and enjoyed making off-colored comments designed to catch them off guard. The better he knew you, the more he teased. With women, however, he was a gentleman and sweet as pie.

Bill was blessed to work alongside all three of his children. His sons worked full-time under his direction, learning how to become the best mechanics possible. His daughter, Lisa, even spent a summer in the garage doing oil changes and other repairs. He also had longtime employees, like Joe Colamartino, whom he trusted to serve customers with the same high standards he upheld himself. Bill was always fair with his billing, often rounding down rather than up. He kept cars running far longer than expected, helping customers financially along the way. Bill worked until he was 84 years old. Even with limited mobility, he continued coming to work, moving around in his desk chair while handling ordering, pickups and drop-offs, phone calls, and anything else that helped the shop run smoothly. Most of all, he simply enjoyed staying active and interacting with his longtime customers.

Experts often talk about "love languages" as ways people express love for others — words of affirmation, gifts, quality time, physical touch, and acts of service. Bill's love language was unquestionably acts of service. He was not the type of person to end every conversation with "I love you." Instead, he expressed love and kindness through his actions. He was the husband who would do anything for his wife and happily let her run the household. As a father, he wanted to raise his children with a strong work ethic, a sense of responsibility, and the understanding that your word was everything. He did so much for his children and, later, his grandchildren.

Bill believed in activities, opportunities, and making memories. He had dirt bikes for the kids — and for himself — along with jet skis, boats, and snowmobiles. If it had a motor, it was an even better toy. When his children were young, family vacations were spent on Cape Cod. In 1985, he and Mary Ann purchased a lake house on Newfound Lake in New Hampshire, which became a gathering place for family and friends for decades. His family cherished their time there, and his children always knew their friends were welcome. During the summers, Bill spent countless days pulling water skiers. He owned many boats over the years, but his favorite was an 18-foot Baha with a 454 rocket engine and, just for fun, nitric oxide boosters. The boat could reach 75 mph and produced a rooster tail that shot 50 feet into the air. You always knew when Bill was on the water.

In his later years, Bill maintained a cherished routine of leaving work on Fridays, picking up his wife, and taking her out to dinner somewhere along the way to the lake, no matter the season. His greatest passion, however, was snowmobiling. Introduced to the sport by his sons, he quickly became hooked. On Saturdays, he could easily put 200 to 250 miles on his machine. Snowmobiling became a true family activity, with his wife, children, and grandchildren all participating. At the age of 77, Bill was involved in a snowmobiling accident in which he struck a tree and broke his femur. Tough and determined as ever, he got back on his machine and drove two hours through the snow back to his house before finally going to the hospital. That was simply Bill being Bill.

Bill lived a remarkable life. Born into humble beginnings as the child of Italian immigrants, he built a loving family, established a successful business that continues today under the direction of his son Bill, and gave his family opportunities and experiences he never could have imagined as a young boy growing up. In the end, his children rallied around him to support him, keep him safe, and, most importantly, allow him to remain in his own home. They learned from Bill that actions have always spoken louder than words.

Bill will be deeply missed, but his suffering and physical limitations are now gone, and he is once again reunited with his beloved Mary Ann.

Bill was the beloved husband of 63 years of Mary Ann (Marashio) Gelormini.  He was the proud father of William Gelormini & his late wife Donna of Wilmington, Marc Gelormini & his wife Lucy of Atkinson, NH, and Lisa Winslow & her husband Carlton of Prides Crossing.  He was the proud grandfather of Kaitlin, Micaela, and Cheyenne Gelormini.  Bill was the brother of Joseph Gelormi9ni & his wife Josephine of Wilmington, The late Ray Gelormini and his surviving wife Arlene of Norfolk and the late Mary Ann & Ronnie Uberti.  He was also survived by many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Michael's Church, www.bedfordcatholic.org ,  90 Concord Road in Bedford on Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m.  Services will conclude with a burial at Westview Cemetery in Lexington.  Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.

Memorials in Bill's name may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org , P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516

For online guestbook and video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net