William Boyd Watt Boldt, 44, died unexpectedly on July 31 in Livonia, surrounded by family, lifelong friends and loved ones.

Born October 28, 1977 in Livonia, William relished life and is remembered for his kindness, sense of adventure and dedication to others. A man full of grace and gratitude, he grew up in Wayne, Michigan, lived in Westland and worked as an IT specialist, having earned a degree in Electronics and Computer Technology from the National Institute of Technology in Southfield, Michigan.

While a biological father to none, several children considered him a father figure for the role he played in their lives—picking them up from school, feeding them, helping with homework and taking them to movies. He was especially good at helping his stepdaughter and other children with math.

William loved adventure and science fiction, from Star Wars to Transformers. He collected comic books, enjoyed gaming, was fond of Celtic music. He loved talking about wolves, dinosaurs, superheroes and video games with his nieces and nephews and spending time with his family and friends. He had an infectious love for life and a resiliency that let him overcome setbacks with a sense of humor and a quick laugh.

William’s final act was to give the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.

He is survived by wife Heidi, stepdaughter Shelby (Scott Griwicki) Sims, father Carl Boldt, mother-in-law Helen Ellenberger, siblings Alexandra (Mike) Koroscik, Marianna (Martin) Caron, Caroline (Jock) Simpson, Catherine (Cory) Buckalew, twin Carl Boldt, Ian (Melissa Coggins) Boldt, Sandra (Hugh) Stewart, Michael (Kristina) Ellenberger, Ron Johnson, 13 nieces and nephews and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his mother Janet (Watt) Boldt, father-in-law John Ellenberger and sister-in-law Linda Johnson.

In lieu of flowers and in support of William’s interest in wolves and his gift of life, donations can be made to the Wolves & Moose of Isle Royale Project with Michigan Tech University and the National Park Service https://isleroyalewolf.org/ and the Gift of Life Michigan https://giftoflifemichigan.org/.