William "Bill" Gasparrini,

Dr. William Gasparrini, 60, of Biloxi, died Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012 at his home surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer. Bill was born to Rose Cianci Gasparrini and the late Joseph Gasparrini in Greenwich, CT. He graduated from Greenwich High School in 1969 as a National Merit Scholar. He attended Lehigh University where he earned his Bachelor’s in Social Psychology in 1972 and Masters in Social Psychology in 1973. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Florida in 1977. He began his career at the Gulfport V.A. in 1978. He founded Applied Psychology Center in 1983 where he worked until his retirement in September 2011. Throughout his career, he also did psychological evaluations for Gulf Oaks Hospital, Memorial Behavioral Health, and Harrison County Correctional Facility. He was a psychology consultant at Biloxi Veteran’s Outreach Center. He was an adjunct psychology professor at USM Gulf Park and Tulane University. He was appointed by the Mississippi State Governor to a five year term on the Mississippi State Board of Psychological Examiners from 1997-2002. He was certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He loved being a psychologist and getting the chance to meet so many people and touch so many lives. Bill had a zest for life. He loved family, travel, and exercising. He was a member of the Gulf Coast Running Club where he was named Most Improved Runner in 2003 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012. He had many notable running accomplishments including completing the Boston Marathon and New York Marathon, among many others. He was an avid triathlete and completed two Ironman competitions in 2003 and 2004 and numerous Half-Ironman competitions. Bill had so many friends and cherished those friendships. He always loved meeting new people through his exercise adventures and through his travels around the world. Bill enjoyed seeing the world through his daughters’ eyes, and took his family on a vacation to a new place each summer. Family was the most important thing to Bill. One of his favorite pastimes was riding bikes on the beach boardwalk with his wife. He was an active member of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Biloxi. He will always be remembered for his positive outlook on life and his fun, loving spirit. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Sue Gasparrini; his daughters, Mary Gregg (Donavan), Amy Cowan (Jeff), and Sarah Weaver (Jason); his mother, Rose Gasparrini; his godmother and aunt, Vin Cianci; his brothers, Joe (Karen) and John Gasparrini (Tehri); his sister, Laura Peters (Paul) of Connecticut; his precious granddaughters, Sophia Gregg and Audrey Cowan; and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be Wednesday, April 11, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., with recitation of the rosary at 3:00 p.m., and will resume at 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home, 2511 Pass Road, in Biloxi. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 12:00 p.m. Thursday at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 2090 Pass Road, in Biloxi where friends may visit from 10:00 a.m. until service time. Interment will folow in Southern Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Thumbs Up for Bill Oncology Patient Fund at Memorial Hospital. Checks can be made payable to the Memorial Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 940, Gulfport, MS 39502.