William Byanski

GARRETT — William B. Byanski, age 83, died April 16, 2017 in hospice care at Parkview Randalia Hospital in Fort Wayne. His death was attributed to complications of diabetes.
Bill was born December 19, 1933 in Defiance, Ohio to Francis Frederick and Edna (Sleek) Byanski. He was one of six children. Job opportunities took the family to Springfield, Ohio, and after the second World War, they returned to the Jacob and Mary Byanski home in Garrett (original settlers of Garrett).
Bill graduated from Garrett High School in 1953 and earned a B.A. at Defiance College in 1959.
He married Beatrice Elizabeth Snyder in Defiance in June 1957, and they had six children who were all at his bedside during the three weeks he was in the hospital. They are Michael Thomas of Lebanon, OH; Anne Marie Sloan of Aurora, Ohio; Mary Lynn San Miguel (Robert Jr.) of Coppell, Texas; Jane Lynette Miller (Jim) of Carrollton, Texas; Susan Marie Ramsower (Mike) of San Antonio, Texas and Linda Marie Lanctot (Aldor Jr.) of Columbia, SC.
Bill worked at Adjusto Corp. after graduation from Defiance. Soon, he formed his own corporation, William and Associates, employing his fellow salesmen from Adjusto. Later, he re-incorporated as Seating Solutions Inc. He sold industrial furniture, furnished schools, offices, labs and hospitals all over the U.S., Canada and abroad. He represented multiple companies including Garrett Tubular Products. His chairs and lab stools were featured in Fisher Scientific catalogs. He started a chair factory in Tennessee and traveled to Sweden and Germany to secure parts for those chairs.
After Bill's divorce and when the children were raised, he married Garrett native, Johanna Heinzerling Gordon. They lived in Ohio until nine years ago when they returned to Garrett to her family's Indiana Centennial farm. Theirs wasn't a blended family as most were grown, but they had three at home in Avon Lake, Ohio and six in college, the oldest in the Coast Guard. Johanna and Kent D. Gordon's children survive: Jenny Hardy (Douglas) of Forsyth, GA; Kirk (Shawn) Gordon of Kent, Ohio; Kris (Tashina Gauhar) Gordon of Capital Heights, MD and Kyle (Kim Snitker) Gordon of Albuquerque, NM.
Surviving also are 19 grandchildren: Chad, Brett and Tessa Sloan; Sarah and Ashley San Miguel; Niko, Adam (Christina) and Taylor (Destiny) Ford; Mary Ramsower (Lyle) Koonce, Mary, Emily, Joseph and Heidi Ramsower; Zachary and Megan Lanctot. Stepgrands are Kristen Hardy (W.), Jay Stancill, Chester (Megan) Hardy, Stuart (Carolann) Hardy; Madeleine and Kent Gordon, Zoah Gordon; and seven great-grandchildren, Heath and Rowan Koonce, Ellie and Rylie Ford, Kaiden and Kenadie Stancill and Josephine Hardy.
Also surviving are his older brother, Thomas John Byanski; Tom's son TJ and his wife Lori (Loomis) and their four sons: John Thomas, James Richard, Michael Francis and Mark William Byanski, all of Warwick, RI.
Surviving also are his younger brother, Frank (Mary) Byanski of Hilliard, Ohio., their three children, Matthew, Bradley and Jill, their children and spouses. His younger sister, Sue Ann (Rick) Mellott, survives in Eaton Rapids, Ohio. (Garrett graduates 1965) and their children are Richard Mellott and D'Lynne M. Anderson and nephews Neal and James Hart.
He was preceded in death by his infant older brother, his parents, his grandparents, Thomas and Mae (Schulthess) Byanski, William Hiram and Mary Louise (Locke) Sleek and older sister and her spouse, Carolyn (Neal) Hart. His mother's only surviving sibling, Aunt Mary, lives in Tiffin, Ohio. She graduated from Garrett High School in 1941.
A celebration of life will be held Friday, April 28 at 11 a.m. with calling at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Garrett.
Preferred memorials are to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 700 S. Main St., Auburn, IN 46706.