Walter 'Bill' Joseph Pomidor

Update: A Memorial Mass will take place on June 23, 2018 at St. Noel Catholic Community at 11:00am, 35200 Chardon Rd. Willoughby Hills, Ohio 44094. Walter J. (Bill) Pomidor passed away January 23, 2018 in Tallahassee Florida after a long illness, only three months after his loving wife of 64 years, Jeannette, preceded him. Bill was born March 5, 1931, in the coal-mining town of Shamokin, PA. His father, a coal miner who later died in a mining accident, urged his children to find work outside the mines. So, on graduating from high school in 1948, Bill joined the Air Force, and was stationed as a sergeant at the Pentagon, serving for four years during the Korean conflict. On his discharge, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he met Jeannette, whom he married on August 1, 1953. Their daughter Barbara came 10 months later, while Bill went to college and worked full-time. Bill earned his Bachelor’s and Master's degrees in English, and started his teaching career at Cathedral Latin High School and also taught at St. Joseph High School in the early 1960's, and ultimately moved to Chandler Technical College in Willoughby. When Chandler evolved into the new Lakeland Community College, Bill became one of the charter faculty members, and taught there for many years, retiring in 1988. In the meantime, Bill and Jeannette raised their children; Barbara, John, Catherine, and William, and a son Benjamin that preceded them in death, at age 10 days. Bill and Jeannette did everything together: travelling, participating fully in their church, and socializing with their many friends and relatives. The two often drove or flew across the country to visit children and grandchildren in San Francisco, Chicago, Florida, Minneapolis and New York. Once retired, they bought a small cottage in Scotland, spending summers near Jeannette’s elder brother, Joe and his family, golfing on the nearby links, and traveling throughout the UK and the continent. Bill loved to sing, whether show tunes, country-western songs or classical opera. Bill was a member of the parish choir at St. Noel’s Church in Willoughby, and he had a beautiful voice and loved to share music with others, he also loved to swim, and he challenged his children to join the fun -- whether body-surfing at Cape Cod, diving and dunking in the lakes of Vermont, or showing off his graceful high-board swan dive at the local pool. He also passed on his love for puzzles and games, he was an avid cross-word puzzler, card player, sports fan and mystery reader. But he also passed on his love for literature, storytelling, and creative writing. He shared these with his family, as well as his students, teaching American classical and modern literature as well as Solzhenitsyn and other Soviet dissidents. Bill had a friendly and keen wit. During his last months, Parkinson's Disease and memory loss zapped his ability to do many things he loved, but he never lost his eternal cool or nearly-legendary patience and sense of humor. He still managed to joke, tease, and make an occasional political quip until his last days -- lifting the spirits of his family and caregivers despite his failing health. Bill is survived by his children; Barbara (Eapen) Chacko, John (Patricia) Pomidor, Catherine (Bryan) Young, William ‘Bill’ (Alice) Pomidor, his grandchildren; Rachel, Christopher, Erin, Andy, Christopher, David, Michael, Lindsay, Ben (Kris) Gwen, and Daniel. He also is survived by his sister Pearl and brother Bernard (Doris), and numerous nieces, nephews and good friends. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, February 3, at 10 a.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 4665 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee. A light reception that same day will follow at 12:30 p.m., at the Westminster Oaks Clubhouse on Commencement Cove at Meandering Way, in Tallahassee. In lieu of flowers, donations suggested to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (www.michaeljfox.org). Scotti Barden of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the Pomidor family with their arrangements.(www.bevisfh.com 850-385-2193)

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Walter 'Bill' Joseph Pomidor

March 5, 1931 - January 23, 2018