1942
William
2011
William E. Bolash
December 12, 1942 — January 10, 2011
STRUTHERS -- William "Bill" Edward Bolash, 68, of Liberty, passed away Monday afternoon, Jan. 10, 2011, in Savannah, Ga., while returning home from a vacation in Florida.
Bill was born on Dec. 12, 1942, in Youngstown, a son of Stephen and Ruth Bolash.
He was raised in Struthers, was a graduate of the Struthers High School Class of 1960 and attended Kent State University.
After graduating in 1960, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy, served as a corpsman and retired in 1989. During his years with the Navy, he traveled and lived in a variety of places, including Guam; Charleston, S.C.; Norfolk, Va.; Bethesda, Md., and Oakland, Calif. While serving in the Navy, he was especially honored to serve as medical support and ride in the ambulance in President John F. Kennedy's funeral procession in 1963. He served in Viet Nam and was aboard the USS Repose when the ship was involved in the1967 rescue of the USS Forrestal after a rocket exploded on its deck, killing 134 sailors and injuring 161. He was a proud veteran who never let a chance go by to defend and honor his country and was rarely seen without some type of military insignia or slogan on his hat, shirt or jacket. He was a life member of the VFW, a current member of VFW Post 2799 in New Springfield and a former officer and quartermaster of Struthers VFW Post 3538 and was a former officer of Coitsville VFW Post 7600.
Bill was the owner of the The Sub Shop in the WRTA building in downtown Youngstown during the 1990s and previously worked for U.S. Steel, 7Up Bottling Co. and Lance Inc. Bill was active with the Struthers Class of 1960 alumni, which met for breakfast regularly. Above all, Bill loved and cherished his dogs, especially his basset hounds, which he treated like his children.
Bill was preceded in death by parents and a brother, Stephen John Bolash Jr.
He leaves his wife, the former Linda Walters, whom he married Sept. 2, 1984; five sisters, Nancy Johngrass and Margie Ellis, both of Struthers, Ruth (Richard) Shipley of Lowellville, Donna (Richard) Parker of Lake Milton and Carole Zoll of Rapid City, S.D.; two brothers, Donald (Kathy) Bolash of Austintown and James (Debbie) Bolash of Ft. Myers, Fla.; a father-in-law, Findley Stutler (Peggy McClimet) of Columbiana; and brothers- and sisters-in-law Crystal and Clarence Sickelsmith of Columbiana, Gary and Mary Stutler of Jackson, Mich., Jay and Wendy Stutler and Findley Stutler Jr., all of Phoenix, Ariz., Denise Stutler and Lee Wishman of Edin, Texas, and Charlotte and Dan Campbell of Sagle, Idaho; and his beloved basset hound, Studley.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday at 12 p.m. at the Davidson-Becker Funeral Home in Struthers, where family and friends will be received one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will follow at the VFW Triangle Post 2799, 3161 E. South Range Road, New Springfield.
Bill was born on Dec. 12, 1942, in Youngstown, a son of Stephen and Ruth Bolash.
He was raised in Struthers, was a graduate of the Struthers High School Class of 1960 and attended Kent State University.
After graduating in 1960, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy, served as a corpsman and retired in 1989. During his years with the Navy, he traveled and lived in a variety of places, including Guam; Charleston, S.C.; Norfolk, Va.; Bethesda, Md., and Oakland, Calif. While serving in the Navy, he was especially honored to serve as medical support and ride in the ambulance in President John F. Kennedy's funeral procession in 1963. He served in Viet Nam and was aboard the USS Repose when the ship was involved in the1967 rescue of the USS Forrestal after a rocket exploded on its deck, killing 134 sailors and injuring 161. He was a proud veteran who never let a chance go by to defend and honor his country and was rarely seen without some type of military insignia or slogan on his hat, shirt or jacket. He was a life member of the VFW, a current member of VFW Post 2799 in New Springfield and a former officer and quartermaster of Struthers VFW Post 3538 and was a former officer of Coitsville VFW Post 7600.
Bill was the owner of the The Sub Shop in the WRTA building in downtown Youngstown during the 1990s and previously worked for U.S. Steel, 7Up Bottling Co. and Lance Inc. Bill was active with the Struthers Class of 1960 alumni, which met for breakfast regularly. Above all, Bill loved and cherished his dogs, especially his basset hounds, which he treated like his children.
Bill was preceded in death by parents and a brother, Stephen John Bolash Jr.
He leaves his wife, the former Linda Walters, whom he married Sept. 2, 1984; five sisters, Nancy Johngrass and Margie Ellis, both of Struthers, Ruth (Richard) Shipley of Lowellville, Donna (Richard) Parker of Lake Milton and Carole Zoll of Rapid City, S.D.; two brothers, Donald (Kathy) Bolash of Austintown and James (Debbie) Bolash of Ft. Myers, Fla.; a father-in-law, Findley Stutler (Peggy McClimet) of Columbiana; and brothers- and sisters-in-law Crystal and Clarence Sickelsmith of Columbiana, Gary and Mary Stutler of Jackson, Mich., Jay and Wendy Stutler and Findley Stutler Jr., all of Phoenix, Ariz., Denise Stutler and Lee Wishman of Edin, Texas, and Charlotte and Dan Campbell of Sagle, Idaho; and his beloved basset hound, Studley.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday at 12 p.m. at the Davidson-Becker Funeral Home in Struthers, where family and friends will be received one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will follow at the VFW Triangle Post 2799, 3161 E. South Range Road, New Springfield.
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