WILLIAM BASANSKY

Dr. Bill Basansky, 78, of Fort Myers, Florida passed quietly from this life to the next at his home on September 9, 2010. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 56 years, Beatrice; son, Eric, and his family of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; and son, Jerry and his family of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Bill is also survived by his sister Linda Ninowski of Scottsdale, Arizona, 12 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Dr. Bill was born in Ukraine, a region of the former Soviet Union, and after the Nazi invasion was interred in concentrations camps until the end of World War II. He and his family were relocated to displaced persons camps until they were able to immigrate to the United States in 1949.
His love of his new homeland never waned. A student of his once said, "If Dr. Bill had a cut on his finger he would bleed red, white and blue."
As a naturalized US citizen, Dr. Bill served in the US Air Force, worked as a detective on the Oxnard, California police force and worked for his teaching credentials allowing him to teach German and Russian in the California public school system.

Although he had no formal education prior to his immigration, Dr. Bill earned his B.A. with honors from San Jose State College in San Jose, California, his M.A. from Oklahoma University in Norman, Oklahoma and in 1978 his Ph. D. from Union University in California. While earning his M.A., he taught Russian at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Dr. Bill and his wife, Bea, have traveled extensively throughout Eastern Europe, Central America and Africa teaching the Word of Faith. They have delivered millions of dollars worth of life-saving humanitarian and medical aid to emerging nations that were part of the former Soviet bloc. Dr. Bill established dozens of Bible colleges abroad and founded hundreds of churches where Christian congregations had been forbidden.

Dr. Bill and Bea settled in Fort Myers, Florida after years of ministry on the road and founded Love and Grace Fellowship where they served as pastors for 14 years.

Dr. Bill Basansky is the author of 13 books, works created to meet the needs of hurting people where he ministered. In his later years, Dr. Bill returned to the traveling ministry to be a help to hurting pastors throughout the United States, to preach the uncompromising Word of God wherever he was invited and to call America back to God.

A patriot, a godly man, a statesman, and a husband and father, Dr. Bill Basansky will be missed by those worldwide who knew him personally, who met him in his ministry and who were changed by reading his books.

Viewings are scheduled on Monday evening, September 13 from 6:00 until 8:00 PM and on Tuesday, September 14 from 2:00 until 3:30 PM at Life Church, 11735 Plantation Rd., Fort Myers, Florida.

Dr. Bill's "Home-going" service is scheduled for Tuesday, September 14 at 4:00 PM at Life Church with Kenneth Copeland officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Bill Basansky Ministries, PO Box 07459, Fort Myers, Florida 33919 or online at www.drbillonline.com.

Fuller Cape Coral Funeral Home-Cremation Service is in charge of arrangements.