Obituary for William "Bill" Stankiewicz
William Stankiewicz
Bill was born in Kitchener on February 27, 1932 to parents Wojciech (William) and Mary (Maria) Tomczyk - Stankiewicz who emigrated from Poland in the 1920’s.
As a teenager he played local hockey with his two brothers, Ed and Myron who went onto play the sport professionally. He was also an avid trapper and hunter in his youth.
Bill graduated from Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate in 1951, the year he met his sweetheart, Joyce (Sauder). That year he was hired to complete the driver training program at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate which was about to close due to poor leadership. He was so successful in turning it around that he continued for the next nine years.
Bill and Joyce married in December 1951 and at the beginning of 1952, they started Bill’s Driving School which later became the Towne & Country Driver Training Centre. At the same time he directed a program for the Ontario Motor League and was a resident instructor for the Defensive Driving Course for the Canada Safety Council. He also started the Eastwood Collegiate driver training program and taught in-car instruction at St. Mary's High school as well.
In 1962, Bill was asked to fill in an occasional appointment to teach auto mechanics and welding at K.C.I.. The experience was so successful that he was encouraged by Principal Walter Zeigler to obtain his teaching certificate.
The first appointment as a certified teacher was at Forest Heights Collegiate in the newly formed occupational department. He subsequently became the department head and taught there for 23 years.
While teaching, Bill pursued his education, graduating with the BA from Wilfred Laurier in 1974 and Niagara University with a Masters in Educational Administration in 1983. His last teaching appointment was at the newly opened Jacob Hespeler as Occupations Department Head.
Bill and Joyce, with the help of her father, built their first home in the 1950’s on her families’ farm on Riverbank Drive where they raised their four boys. They moved to Stonecroft in New Hamburg in 2004 where they resided until the move to University Gates, Waterloo in 2021.
Bill was a long-time member of the K-W Serra Club and a founding member of the K-W Squash Club. Bill and son Kim enjoyed their Corvairs and both belonged to the Corvair Club with Kim as his resident mechanic. He also enjoyed golfing, especially with his sons. For a few years they had an annual Stankiewicz family tournament, complete with trophies and a BBQ. Bill was a member of the "Fighting Irish" annual golf tournament with many of the original North Ward boys and enjoyed hunting trips to Round Lake in the Killaloe area.
Unfortunately, in 2018 Bill was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia – PPA - which eventually compromised his memory and speech. It progressed to the point that he was unable to drive, read, write, or communicate with his family and friends.
He leaves his loving wife of 71 years Joyce (nee Sauder) and his 4 sons - James (Colleen), Richard (Valerie), Wm. Kimberly (Sue), Thomas (Gail), nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, of which he has been immensely proud.
Predeceased by his daughters-in-law Donna (Richard), Amalia (James), sister Violet (Herb Altman), his step-mother Erma (nee Thomas), brothers Ed and Stanley, brother-in-law Terry Lippert (Stephanie). He is survived by his sister Stephanie (Lippert), brother Myron (Anne) and step-sister Joan (Jack) Whittnebel and Nancy Thomas (the late Frank) and sister-in-law Lois (Sauder) Cybalski (Jerry). Brothers-in-law Duane (Erika) Sauder, and Tim Sauder.
Grateful thanks to the staff on the memory floor at University Gates, Waterloo, St. Mary's Hospital Palliative Care Unit, Freeport Hospital and Trinity Village Long Term Care, for making Bill's last days comfortable.
“Grief is the price we pay for Love”
A private family visitation was held at the Henry Walser Funeral Home.
The Celebration of Bill’s Life will take place at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Holy Family Parish, 329 Huron St., New Hamburg followed by a reception at Steinmann Mennonite Church, 1316 Snyder's Road West, Baden.
Please arrive at the church at 10:45 AM for the prelude music prior to the funeral mass.
Donations in Bill's name may be made through the funeral home (519-749-8467), to The Carmel of St. Joseph in St. Agatha, The Working Centre, St. John's Soup Kitchen or the House of Friendship.
Visit www.henrywalser.com for Bill's memorial.
Bill was born in Kitchener on February 27, 1932 to parents Wojciech (William) and Mary (Maria) Tomczyk - Stankiewicz who emigrated from Poland in the 1920’s.
As a teenager he played local hockey with his two brothers, Ed and Myron who went onto play the sport professionally. He was also an avid trapper and hunter in his youth.
Bill graduated from Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate in 1951, the year he met his sweetheart, Joyce (Sauder). That year he was hired to complete the driver training program at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate which was about to close due to poor leadership. He was so successful in turning it around that he continued for the next nine years.
Bill and Joyce married in December 1951 and at the beginning of 1952, they started Bill’s Driving School which later became the Towne & Country Driver Training Centre. At the same time he directed a program for the Ontario Motor League and was a resident instructor for the Defensive Driving Course for the Canada Safety Council. He also started the Eastwood Collegiate driver training program and taught in-car instruction at St. Mary's High school as well.
In 1962, Bill was asked to fill in an occasional appointment to teach auto mechanics and welding at K.C.I.. The experience was so successful that he was encouraged by Principal Walter Zeigler to obtain his teaching certificate.
The first appointment as a certified teacher was at Forest Heights Collegiate in the newly formed occupational department. He subsequently became the department head and taught there for 23 years.
While teaching, Bill pursued his education, graduating with the BA from Wilfred Laurier in 1974 and Niagara University with a Masters in Educational Administration in 1983. His last teaching appointment was at the newly opened Jacob Hespeler as Occupations Department Head.
Bill and Joyce, with the help of her father, built their first home in the 1950’s on her families’ farm on Riverbank Drive where they raised their four boys. They moved to Stonecroft in New Hamburg in 2004 where they resided until the move to University Gates, Waterloo in 2021.
Bill was a long-time member of the K-W Serra Club and a founding member of the K-W Squash Club. Bill and son Kim enjoyed their Corvairs and both belonged to the Corvair Club with Kim as his resident mechanic. He also enjoyed golfing, especially with his sons. For a few years they had an annual Stankiewicz family tournament, complete with trophies and a BBQ. Bill was a member of the "Fighting Irish" annual golf tournament with many of the original North Ward boys and enjoyed hunting trips to Round Lake in the Killaloe area.
Unfortunately, in 2018 Bill was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia – PPA - which eventually compromised his memory and speech. It progressed to the point that he was unable to drive, read, write, or communicate with his family and friends.
He leaves his loving wife of 71 years Joyce (nee Sauder) and his 4 sons - James (Colleen), Richard (Valerie), Wm. Kimberly (Sue), Thomas (Gail), nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, of which he has been immensely proud.
Predeceased by his daughters-in-law Donna (Richard), Amalia (James), sister Violet (Herb Altman), his step-mother Erma (nee Thomas), brothers Ed and Stanley, brother-in-law Terry Lippert (Stephanie). He is survived by his sister Stephanie (Lippert), brother Myron (Anne) and step-sister Joan (Jack) Whittnebel and Nancy Thomas (the late Frank) and sister-in-law Lois (Sauder) Cybalski (Jerry). Brothers-in-law Duane (Erika) Sauder, and Tim Sauder.
Grateful thanks to the staff on the memory floor at University Gates, Waterloo, St. Mary's Hospital Palliative Care Unit, Freeport Hospital and Trinity Village Long Term Care, for making Bill's last days comfortable.
“Grief is the price we pay for Love”
A private family visitation was held at the Henry Walser Funeral Home.
The Celebration of Bill’s Life will take place at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Holy Family Parish, 329 Huron St., New Hamburg followed by a reception at Steinmann Mennonite Church, 1316 Snyder's Road West, Baden.
Please arrive at the church at 10:45 AM for the prelude music prior to the funeral mass.
Donations in Bill's name may be made through the funeral home (519-749-8467), to The Carmel of St. Joseph in St. Agatha, The Working Centre, St. John's Soup Kitchen or the House of Friendship.
Visit www.henrywalser.com for Bill's memorial.