He and his family moved to Brookdale and were the owners of the Riverdale estate on Highway 9 when he was young. He went to school in Boulder Creek and then later in Los Gatos. H held several jobs in art display and publicity and was responsible for the Santa Cruz exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair. William Irwin moved back to Santa Cruz and built a house on his family's property in Brookdale and he developed an interest in horticulture with expertise in rhododendrons of which he won several prizes. He also was the editor of the Pogonip newsletter under the name "Nipper".