Salisbury Celebrates The Life of “Bill” Handy With A Honorary Street Sign

SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury honored one of their own on Saturday, Oct. 24th, with a honorary street sign. The intersection of Lake and Burton St. is now known as “‘Bill’ Handy Way.”

William “Bill” Handy was a well known member of the Wicomico community, where he was a school bus contractor for over 60 years.

Family members in attendance, such as Amber Smith, shared their memories of Mr. Handy, or as she called him, “Poppy”.

“He loved serving the people.” Said Smith. “He drove a bus for over 50 years. He was in the funeral service business for several years in Salisbury. So there probably isn’t one person in Salisbury who hasn’t heard of him or wasn’t impacted by his life. And that was his purpose. He was here to serve the people and just return the love that he received.”

Members of the community gathered to honor his legacy, and the lasting impact he left on the lives of many, as the corner of Lake and Burton Street where he worked, now displays his name.

“I love it.” Said Smith. “It’s on the west side of town, this is where he spent his time and this is where he loved. This is what he called home. So whenever I’m home visiting or whenever I ride down Lake Street and Burton Street, I know that Poppy is right here with us. So this is very special. Something that we’ll have forever.”

Although William Handy passed away in August 2024, his legacy in Wicomico County lives on.