William Charles Menge

William C. "Bill" Menge passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on April 11, 2026, following a swift and unexpected battle with cancer.Born on December 26, 1966, in Amsterdam, NY, Bill spent his childhood camping, hunting, enjoying the outdoors, and learning just about every trade and skill in the book. He turned this natural hands-on talent into a lifelong career, beginning with an auto body apprenticeship at Vern’s Auto Body in Amsterdam, NY, as a young adult. For over 30 years at Vern's, he continued to grow and master his craft. He later brought his expertise to Gerber Auto, where he dedicated his time to teaching and mentoring a younger generation of mechanics and auto body technicians.In the last two years of his life, Bill found his true calling when he was honored to become the auto body instructor at HFM BOCES. His love for teaching his craft and his natural ability to connect with everyone made it the perfect fit. He was deeply invested in his students, taking immense pride in absolutely everything he did, and he spoke fondly of their accomplishments long after they graduated.Bill was the kind of man who would give the shirt off his back to anyone. He was always the first to offer a helping hand, whether that meant spending hours in his garage doing auto body work or coming over to help a friend with a project. He never let anyone pay him and never expected anything in return. His legacy of selfless generosity will live on through his family, friends, coworkers, and students, and his presence will be missed for eternity.Bill is survived by his loving wife, Anita Menge. Despite finding each other later in life, their years together were filled with laughter, friends, travel, and profound love. They called each other their perfect match and found true joy in all the small, everyday moments.He is also survived by his parents, George and Barbara Menge; his children, Ashley (Mike) Trevett and William Cody (Alex) Menge; his stepchildren, Kalee (Bethany) Penrose, Cody Lowry, and Brandon Lowry; his beloved grandchildren, Emma and Olivia Trevett, and Jayson, Liam, and Poppy-Aria Lowry; and his siblings, Cassandra Ranaldo and Dennis Nulty. Above all, Bill was an incredible son, husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather. He was deeply proud of his family and their successes. Their achievements stand as a constant tribute to the tenacity and hardworking spirit that he so lovingly instilled in them all.Bill’s life and legacy will continue to live on through his family, friends, and students, bringing peace to the ones who love him during this challenging time.A Celebration of Life will be held on May 2, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the VFW Post 8790, located at 19 Pine Street, Broadalbin, NY. All are welcome to gather in honor of Bill to share stories, tears, laughs and a beer or two in his memory.