RIP WILLIAM PETER FOY, MENSWEAR EXEC AND FRIEND TO MANY

Born and raised on Long Island, Bill Foy was an alumnus of Holy Trinity High School where he had just celebrated his 50th H.S. reunion. A graduate of C.W. Post College, Bill’s first job was stock boy at Gertz Department store. Fashion in his blood, he left Gertz to go to Macy’s, where he rose quickly to become the men’s suit buyer. He later chose to jump over to wholesale when Macy’s and Bamberger’s consolidated their buying operations.   

Bill married the girl of his dreams, Debra Tynan Foy, in 1983; they moved to Merrick in 1986. Proud father of Ryan Tynan, Sean Campbell and Kyle Liam, Bill is survived by Debra, his three sons, his mother Marilyn, sisters Patricia and Jeanne, brother-in-law Sean Gallegher and nephew Aidan Gallegher.  He is joined in heaven by his beloved brother Dennis and father William Sr.  

We thank so many friends who have reached out to us. With love from Debra, Ryan, Sean and Kyle. 

Antonio and Marcia DiCapua worked with Bill at Tuscany & Company Inc. and truly adored him. “It’s with heavy hearts that we communicate the passing of a wonderful friend and colleague. William P. Foy (a.k.a. Bill, Billy) passed away unexpectedly on Friday, January 3rd at not quite 69 years of age. He was our colleague for many years and a dedicated member of the Tuscany & Company Inc work family. His passion for the fashion industry and his work ethic were evident and appreciated by all. Bill was highly respected in the industry due to his knowledge and innate ability to engage with people. We will miss him dearly—his commitment, his stories, his jokes, his recipes… May his memory remain in our hearts a blessing.”   

From co-worker Sharon Alvarez: “When I think of Bill, I think of a gentle soul who was a friend to everyone. He took immense pride in his work and had a devotion to Tuscany & Company that was unwavering. Bill & I worked together for 10 years, and he never took a day off (typical Bill, lol). We always joked that he was never sick. Bill loved every aspect of his time with Tuscany & Company, especially being on the road traveling for the shows & visiting/interacting with the customers. He would always send us pictures from his road trips and other destinations. What I will miss most is his sense of humor, his trivia questions and his being a Google aficionado. But above all, Bill loved his family dearly. He was a loving father to his three boys and adored his beautiful wife, Debbie. Our office will never be the same.” 

“Fly free Bill. Knowing Bill, he is embracing his new adventure while always looking out for us from the other side of the rainbow,” she added. 

From Barry and Rick at Family Britches: “We got to know Bill through his work with Antonio at Tuscany & Company. His dedication to his company and coworkers and the people they served was incredible. No task was too difficult and no time frame too challenging for Bill. He was easy going and dedicated to everyone. No matter what we needed or when, Bill was willing to help. Our work relationship evolved over time into a deep appreciation and respect for one another. His professionalism, dedication and kind temperament will be missed by all of us. Rest in peace dear friend.” 

Recalls Lizette Chin, publisher of MR magazine, “I will always consider Bill Foy one of my real-life guardian angels. On 9/11, I was working on West 54th Street and the unfolding tragic event of the day left me very distraught. When they reopened the subway system, I attempted to leave the city and wasn’t expecting the collective panic of thousands of people trying to leave Manhattan. I was frustrated, disoriented and on the verge of an anxiety attack. All of a sudden, a hand appeared through the crowd and it was Bill. I’ll never forget what he said: ‘Hey Lizette, don’t worry. Follow me.’ And I did. Thank you, Bill. He has always held a special place in my heart.”  

Says retailer Scott Shapiro from Syd Jerome in Chicago, “You know, we go through our careers doing business with so many different people, but when you do business with friends, it’s a whole different experience. Bill was one of the hardest working guys in the business, part of a truly hard-working team. He was the embodiment of the road-warriors from days gone by. I will miss him.”

And from David and Ellen Levy of Levy’s in Nashville: “We are heartbroken to learn of Bill Foy’s passing. He was such a hard worker and so proud of the products he sold. He would personally drive sample lines from Connecticut to Dallas to Chicago, stopping at stores and connecting with clients along the way. He loved to talk about his road trips! He had an intrinsic understanding of what worked best for Southern stores. He and Antonio DiCapua worked together like brothers from a different mother. We will miss his friendship and his genuine concern that Levy’s would be successful with Tuscany & Co. selections. Rest in Peace dear Bill.” 

The service for Bill will be private. For those so inclined, Bill would have appreciated a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.