Bill Joseph Ojendyk

William (Bill) Joseph Ojendyk passed away at his home in Bothell, Washington, on July 4th.

Bill was born to Arnold and Delphine Ojendyk in Seattle on February 10th, 1943. He graduated from Blanchet High School and the University of Washington. Bill was married twice: first, to Marie Hansen, with whom he had two sons, Dave and Steve; and second, to Sheila Porter, with whom he had two additional sons, Tom and William, Jr. In fact, Sheila and Bill celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2021.

Bill spent his entire career in the grocery business, working in the corporate offices for Associated Grocers, Haggen's, and Bi-Lo, among other companies. This work took Bill across the county, and at various times, he and his family lived in Fort Worth, Texas; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Greenville and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Spokane, Seattle, and Bellingham, Washington.

In addition to his family, Bill's great loves were travel and dogs-specifically, former racing greyhounds, which he adopted from rescue organizations. Bill rescued six in total, and they were constant companions, especially during his years of retirement; in fact, whenever Bill ate at restaurants, he would order food that would be appropriate to later share with one of the greyhounds. As for travel, he had a perfect partner for adventures, as Sheila worked for a number of years as flight attendant. For the first half of their marriage, they traveled widely in Europe; and for the second half, they toured the United States in an RV. Always a gregarious fellow, Bill made friends in every RV park. Some of those friendships lasted an evening, whereas others lasted for years.

Bill will be remembered for his generosity. He was a practicing Catholic and active member of the Knights of Columbus, and he took special pleasure in delivering holiday meals to the less fortunate.

Bill is survived by his wife, Sheila; by his sister, Sharon; by his four children, Dave, Steve, William, and Tom; and by numerous grandchildren and cousins. His spirit and optimism live on in them all.

A private service for family and friends will be held on August 8th at St. Brendan's in Bothell, Washington.