William Albert Hadfield, 81, of Boulder, Montana, passed away peacefully on May 26, 2026, surrounded by family.

Known to most as “Wild Bill,” he was born on January 8 1945, in Elgin, Illinois, to Allen and Gwendolyn Hadfield. He graduated from Cary Grove High School in 1963 and earned two Associate’s Degrees in electrical fields (DeVry Technical Institute - 1967; Helena Vocational-Technical Center - 1977).

Bill was drafted into the Army and, during initial training, was selected to become a helicopter pilot. It was there that he earned the nickname “Wild Bill.” He served in Vietnam from 1968-1969 and, following his deployment, continued his military service for a short time as an instructor pilot. He later flew for the Montana Army National Guard. Although he rarely spoke about his experiences during the war until later in life, his service meant a great deal to him and left a lasting impact.

After leaving the Army, Bill worked for IBM as an electrical technician in New York. There, he met and married the love of his life, Linda Jean Dolan, in 1971. The following year they welcomed their first son, William A. Hadfield II.

Tired of the hustle-bustle of New York, Bill and Linda set their sights on Montana, where a close high school classmate of Bill’s lived. In Hadfield fashion, they bought an old school bus, hooked up their Volvo, and headed west with their 3 month old baby and a giant fish tank. Linda joked that the fish tank didn’t survive the journey. They landed in Cascade, Montana, where they welcomed two more children, Caroline and Tracy. In 1979, the family moved to Boulder, where they put down permanent roots and later welcomed their youngest son, David.

Bill was a lifelong collector and tinkerer, and he could often be found in his yard working on one project or another, or many. He possessed a remarkable talent for anything electrical and spent his career repairing everything from televisions and refrigerators to the latest computer technology. He concluded his professional career in 2012 while working in the Communications Office for the Montana Department of Transportation.

Beyond his work, Wild Bill enjoyed a variety of pursuits. He was an avid ham radio operator, proudly wore the title of “Mosquito Bill” in his ongoing battle against Boulder’s pesky bugs, served as an active member of the Boulder Volunteer Fire Department, stepped in as Santa Claus whenever needed, served on the school boards at Boulder Elementary and Jefferson High School, and remained a faithful follower of “the Man Upstairs,” as he affectionately called Him.

Bill stated his greatest legacy is his family. He is survived by his children: son William Hadfield II and wife Hope of Harker Heights, Texas; daughter Caroline Hadfield Rogers and husband RJ of Fairfield, Montana; daughter Tracy Hadfield Mitchell and husband Tim of Missoula, Montana; and son David Hadfield and wife Alisha of Jefferson City, Montana; his five beautiful granddaughters: Austin Rogers, Chesney Rogers, Darrah Rogers, Teagan Mitchell, and Claire Hadfield and two amazing grandsons: Fergus Mitchell and Beau Hadfield. He also leaves behind his younger sister, Patricia Cooley; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 45 years, Linda; his parents, Allen and Gwen; and his siblings, Steven Hadfield, Penny Royce, Gwendolyn Hansen, and Natalie Swanson.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Boulder Volunteer Fire Department (bouldervfd@gmail.com) or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (https://www.vvmf.org/).