William Richard Wadleigh

William Richard Wadleigh Award-winning Game Developer, loving husband and father. The passing of Bill Wadleigh at the age of 59 leaves us with a combination of sadness for the loss and gratitude for having known him. It's been said that one measure of the quality of a life is whether their own lives were better for having known them. By that standard, Bill was as successful as you can get. Bill Wadleigh was an award-winning game developer, responsible for creating a series of very successful slot machine games in his 20 year career. He started as a Producer for WMS Gaming, Inc., which is now part of Scientific Games. He played a lead role in creating a fresh approach to the process of game development. He was one of the first to build an effective "studio structure" that prioritized teamwork and collaboration, and subsequently directed the creation of similar studios around the globe. After WMS, Bill held positions at IGT and Phantom EFX before landing at Bally in 2009, another company that's now part of Scientific Games. At Bally, Bill played a major role in improving Bally's Alpha gaming platform, creating the foundation that drove Bally's growth and success over many years. He developed 'Money Vault,' which was a huge success, and was excited to develop the 'NASCAR' game, enabling him to combine two of his passions, NASCAR racing and game development. After Bally, Bill had stints at Ainsworth Game Technology and Konami Gaming and was gearing up to embark on the next chapter of his career. He left a legacy that is reflected in the success of the people he mentored, awards he received, and the 12 patents he was granted. Bill was born on May 2, 1961, on a naval base in Morocco. His father, George Wadleigh, was a Commander in the United States Navy and his mother, Pat, a realtor. Bill was the youngest of two children, with an older sister, Susan. Bill's formative years were spent in Massachusetts and Maryland. He was educated at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, Syracuse University and Montgomery College. He earned a degree in Broadcast Technologies and spent the initial part of his working life in television production. It was while working in television that Bill met Susan. They married in 1992 and celebrated the birth of their son, Ben, in 1994. Bill loved music and was a huge fan of Kiss, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and pretty much any other 80s rock band. He played the drums and performed as a proud member of the "Forbidden Donuts." Bill was also a huge sports fan - his spent weekends watching NASCAR or his beloved New England Patriots. He was always thrilled to attend races in person, and he and Ben were regulars at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While we has developing the NASCAR slot game, he was regularly hosted at NASCAR events and enjoyed access to the pits and drivers. His favorite was Kevin Harvick who, happily, currently leads the standings. Bill died peacefully in the early hours of Thursday morning, July 2. None of his interests or awards could compare to his greatest achievement: his family. Susan and Ben will face difficult days in the months to come, but they will have the support of those who knew him. Bill Wadleigh was a man who loved, and lived, well. Bill Wadleigh, born May 2, 1961, died July 2, 2020.

William Richard Wadleigh

May 2, 1961 - July 2, 2020