A Nautical Life Well Lived
The team at Power & Motoryacht was saddened to learn of the passing of an icon on August 14, 2025. Bill Healey passed away surrounded by his family at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, N.J. He was 97. Bill was the former president of Viking Yachts, the company he co-founded in 1964 with his brother Robert. Today, alongside its newer offshoot Valhalla, Viking is a juggernaut in the luxury sportfishing realm.
Healey was a pioneer in modernizing both the business and the management of yacht building. Generators in the plant—including solar—could provide all the electrical and climate-control needs. He installed onsite wastewater treatment and was an early adopter of the five-axis CNC router. He was also known to stand at the door every evening to give a “good night” to workers as they left the factory. There were hundreds of workers at Viking, and Bill knew not only most of them by name but also their family members. His legacy even included the founding of an in-house health department that provided free onsite medical care for employees.
“Bill was intense and feisty, but beneath that drive was a soft heart and a deep bond with others,” the company said in a statement. “He valued his team with unbounded enthusiasm and commitment, often reminding them that they did not work for Bill Healey but that they worked with Bill Healey.”
