William P. Soule, a prominent South Portland businessman who traveled the world and gave back to the city he loved, died Thursday of complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 90.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 72 Federal St., in Portland.
Bill Soule was remembered by loved ones Tuesday as an honest and hard-working man who was known for his integrity, loyalty and sense of adventure.
A lifelong resident of South Portland, Mr. Soule was an insurance agent based in the city’s Knightville neighborhood.
In the late 1960s, he founded William P. Soule Associates, an independent life insurance agency. By the 1970s, Soule formed a partnership with Leone Allen, a former Maine state commissioner of insurance. The firm became known as the Soule Allen Agency. It is now known as Noyes, Hall and Allen.
Soule retired from the insurance industry around 2006.
“He was a very successful salesperson,” said his wife, Gloria Soule of South Portland. “He was loved by his co-workers. They all thought very highly of him. People admired his integrity and loyalty.”
Mr. Soule was a devoted father, who worked hard to provide a good life for his children.
His passion for traveling led him to open three travel agencies: Travel Planners, Village Travel and Soule Travel, according to his obituary.
His wife shared memories Tuesday of traveling and operating the business together. He served as president and planned group trips and tours. She was vice president and maintained their office in the Mill Creek area. They owned the travel agency for 20 to 25 years. His wife said he planned and led five group tours to Ireland.
Together, the Soules took 34 cruises, mostly to the Caribbean, Hawaii and its outer islands. They made two trips to Paris. They also went on two cruises to Russia and toured the Baltics. They visited St. Petersburg and the Hermitage Museum.
“He loved seeing the artwork,” his wife said. “He loved the relaxation of being on board. He liked sitting on the deck and having a cocktail and hearing the water.”
His wife said he was a good traveling companion.
“He was very considerate to travel with and a big tipper,” she said. “We used to get into squabbles about that. He would say, ‘They deserve it.’ ”
Mr. Soule was active in South Portland. He served as chairman of the city’s planning and zoning appeals boards. He served as president of the South Portland Chamber of Commerce, and president of South Portland Kiwanis.
Mr. Soule was also a member and president of the Holy Cross Church Parish Council and school board. According to his obituary, among Soule’s proudest accomplishments was keeping Holy Cross Church School tuition free for its parish members.
Mr. Soule struggled with Parkinson’s disease for the past three years. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by his family and caregivers.
Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:
Twitter: MelanieCreamer
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