William Robert Vanator, known to most as “Bill,” passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Fort Wayne’s Lutheran Hospital. He was 85 years old at his death.
A longtime resident of Berne (Adams County), Bill was born May 22, 1932, in Kosciusko County and attended Leesburg School, where he graduated in 1950. On Jan. 3, 1958, Bill and Sandra Lee Stevens were united in marriage. Although they had met many years earlier and knew each other for some time, it wasn’t until after Bill’s return from the Air Force that they began dating.
As an Air Force steward, Bill served in Thule, Greenland, and grew to love airplanes of all types. He also enjoyed reading about military history and loved model trains. His large HO gauge train set took up most of their home’s basement; the family often joked that it would soon require a tunnel to expand.
He was a skilled marksman and enjoyed westerns like “Gunsmoke” and anything with John Wayne. A pingpong champion, IU basketball fan (especially of the Bobby Knight era) and expert tinkerer, Bill had worked for several places as a manufacturing engineer. Most notably, he worked for Dalton Foundry, Peabody Seating Co., Hubbard Spool and MacIntosh Corp.
Having grown up around his parents’ apple orchard, making cider and harvesting apples became a family tradition for Bill, Sandy and their children, too. From this Bill learned a lot about plants and gardening and developed a love for caring for his own plants and yard.
Bill was “just the right amount of ornery” and loved to play and roughhouse with his children and grandchildren, who will always remember him as quiet and kind-hearted, hard-working, loyal, tenacious and witty.
Those who survive with memories to treasure include his wife of more than 60 years, Sandra Vanator, Berne, and four children: Leslie (husband Greg) Gregory, Fort Wayne; Valerie Cullen, New Castle, Colo.; Jonathan (wife Amy) Vanator, Pendleton; and Jennifer (husband Marco Pagliacci) Vanator, Washburn, Wis. He is also survived by six grandchildren and his sister, Iva Johnston, Pewaukee, Wis.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Mable Lake Vanator; and by two sisters, Betty Tampkin and Mary Evelyn Bearinger.
Friends and family will gather for visitation from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at Titus Funeral Home, 2000 E. Sheridan St., Warsaw. A funeral service that celebrates Bill’s life will begin at 2 p.m. with Pastor Jim Schwartz, First Mennonite Church of Berne, officiating.
Burial will follow in Leesburg Cemetery, with military honors rendered by members of the U.S. Air Force, American Legion Post 49 and VFW Post 1126.
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To sign the guestbook or send condolences, visit www.TitusFuneralHome.com.
