William J. “Bill” Harford Jr., 61, passed away in his home on October 27, 2016 after a short battle with melanoma.  He was accompanied by his loving family. Bill was born in Boston, Mass on August 10, 1955.  He was the eldest son of the late William and Jean Harford. Bill attended Franklin and Marshall College where he began a lifelong career in sports, playing baseball before graduating in 1978. He spent most of his adult life as a professional baseball scout based in Chicago, Illinois.  During his career, he served as the farm director for the Chicago Cubs and scouted for many teams, most recently, the Minnesota Twins.

Words cannot do justice to the depth of respect, admiration and love he garnered during his lifetime.  His colleagues, friends, family and children agree the world lost a special individual. Bill was a deeply loyal friend, brother and uncle, a dedicated coach, and a mentor to many.  Most importantly, though, he was an amazing father to his children, Will and Kathleen, to whom he imparted his unwavering sense of family, incredible integrity and work ethic, love of sports, and sly sense of humor. In addition to spending time with his children, Bill loved coaching basketball, playing pickup sports, golfing as a member of Arizona Country Club, and completing newspaper crossword and sudoku puzzles in record time.

He is lovingly survived by his two children, William J. Harford III, Kathleen M. Harford, and longtime girlfriend Liz Nardini. Bill is also survived by his sister, Jean (Eduardo) Cortes, and brother, Robert (Janet) Harford; and his beloved nieces and nephews.  A memorial Mass will be held at St. Mary of the Woods Church, 7033 N Moselle, Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 11 a.m.  Visitation will take place at the church from 9:00 a.m. up to the time of mass.   In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in memory of Bill Harford to Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, 5010 North Parkway Calabasas, Suite 201, Calabasas, CA 91302.

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