William David Hickman Jr.'s Obituary
William David “Bill” Hickman Jr. of Harbeson, Delaware, passed away peacefully at home on November 15th, 2025, surrounded by family.
Born on November 9th, 1950, in Wilmington, Delaware, Bill was the son of the late William and Felicia Hickman. He is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Laura Hickman.
Bill was the incredibly proud father of four children: William Hickman III of Milton, Jennifer Tatem (Brian) of Rehoboth, Bryan Hickman (Julie) of Milton, and Julie Harlow (Peter) of Lewes.
Growing up as an only child, nothing brought him more happiness than having his children and grandchildren around as often as possible. He took great pride in his role as “Pa” to his grandchildren – William, Layla, Kaleb, Brayden, Abby, Alivia, Everly, Mallory, Zoe, and Jimi.
Bill opened Hickman’s Meat Market in 2002 and was quickly embraced by the entire community and became a local legend. His incredible skills with a knife were more of an art than just “cutting meat.” He treated every customer as if they were family and cared just as much for the person buying a pound of ground sirloin as he did the person spending hundreds of dollars to feed their family for a large event. He was known for his larger-than-life personality, incredible sense of humor, ability to light up any room he was in, and the uncanny way he had of being everyone’s “best friend,” and those friends more often than not ended up being like family.
Bill had a deep love of music. He played guitar and sang in multiple bands throughout his life and also managed bands. He passed this love of music on to many members of his family. He was an avid outdoorsman, spending countless hours in the woods and on the water. He was an incredible cook and loved grilling for friends and family as well as preparing many crab feasts throughout the summers. What he loved most was spending time with his family.
As a man who had his share of personal battles, Bill never missed an opportunity to use his own experiences to help others. He was an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous and was always available to anyone who was struggling with addiction, offering encouragement, advice, and guidance without ever being judgmental. He was the ultimate friend and mentor and will be deeply missed by the vast number of people whose lives he touched.
A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, December 1st, 2025, at 3:00 PM at Parsell Funeral Homes, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE. Visitation will be from 2:00–3:00 PM.
All those unable to attend the services are invited to join the service via livestreaming by visiting the following link:
http://www.parsellfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/permalink/11968342/LTWebcast
In Lieu of Flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to:
The Crossing Church Memo: Build Campaign PO Box 95 Milton, DE 19968 or by visiting:
https://pushpay.com/g/thecrossingnow?src=hpp
Please sign the tribute wall located on this website.
FLORIST NOTE: PLEASE HAVE ALL FLOWERES DELIVERED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2025 BY 9:00 AM AT OUR LEWES LOCATION.
What’s your fondest memory of William?
What’s a lesson you learned from William?
Share a story where William's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with William you’ll never forget.
How did William make you smile?