Bill was born May 5, 1933, in Evanston, Ill. His father, John Ames, was a member of the Class of 1928. Bill attended Deerfield Academy. At Princeton he joined Cottage Club, majored in history, lettered with the national champion lacrosse team, and participated in IAA football, pool, baseball, and bowling.
After graduation Bill graduated first in his class in Air Force flight school and was assigned to a F-100 Super Sabre, but was never called upon to fulfill its mission to deliver nuclear weapons.
His life thereafter featured venture capital, investment banking, farming, and land conservation. Bill also fly-fished, skied, golfed, loved singing choral music, and sky-dived at age 78. He bought a 50-foot boat and sailed it with Nancy to Bermuda, Portugal, and Spain, then up and down the East Coast, and lived on it for a while in Boston Harbor.
Bill is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Nancy; daughters Jennifer, Mary, and Nathalie; sons Jeffrey and Peter; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.