William Edward Harshbarger

William Edward Harshbarger (November 17, 1939 – February 11, 2026)

William 'Bill' Harshbarger, 86, of Sidney, Ohio, passed away at his recent residence in Bethesda, Maryland on February 11, 2026 of Alzheimer's Disease.

He was dearly loved by his family & friends, known for his love of fixing everything, spirited debates, and hearty laugh. His favorite pastimes were traveling the globe with the love of his life, Luz (Sarmiento) Harshbarger (his wife of over 55 years), working on the farm, chopping wood, listening to jazz and classical music and reading in his recliner.

Bill was stationed in Oberammergau, Germany during his service in the US Army. He studied mechanical engineering at Capital & Ohio State University and spent 41 years of his career designing and was awarded a patent for one of his inventions at Crown Equipment Corporation in New Bremen, Ohio.

Bill and Luz met at a dance while she was a professor of Spanish at Wittenberg University of Ohio. They married in her native country of Colombia in Bogota on June 27, 1970 and continued dancing together through life.

Bill is survived by his family, who miss him greatly. Wife Luz Harshbarger and children Marcella Sampic (Julien), Phillip (Dr. Andrea Apolo) and Deanna (Tom Smolders), niece Samantha Martin and his 6 grandchildren, twins Sebastien & Raphael Sampic, Apolo & Alejandro Harshbarger, Matijs & Evline Smolders and brothers Henry and Paul (Ellen) Harshbarger.

Bill lived most of his life in Sidney, Ohio, preceded in death by his parents Lloyd and Bertha (Mader) Harshbarger and sister Rebecca (Harshbarger) Cuthbert.

A memorial service will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The family suggests donations to the Alzheimer's Association to fight this devastating disease in memory of Bill: https://events.alz.org/fundraisers/phillipharshbarger