William "Bill" Nostadt

NOSTADT, William “Bill”, 95, put out his hand and touched the face of God on November 4, 2019. Bill was preceded in death by his treasured wife of 62 years, Melda.  He is survived by his four children Nancy Roderer, Linda Moore, William Jr., and Catherine Herman, and their spouses; his seven grandchildren Jennifer Strehle, Michael Roderer Jr., Amy Thompson, Megan Lemming, Nicholas Nostadt, Gail Kerley, and Justine Rossman; nine great-grandchildren; and his sister Ann McNamara.

One of ten siblings, Bill grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  His enlistment in the Army Air Corps during WW II enabled Bill to see many parts of his beloved country, from Montana to Florida to California.  He trained as a fighter pilot but the war ended before he was sent overseas.  Putting aside dreams of living on a ranch in Montana for practical reasons, Bill spent his working life at General Motors, Frigidaire Division.  He was responsible for diagnosing systemic appliance service problems, observing national trends, writing service manuals, and instructing service technicians.  Bill’s longed-for retirement began when he was able to move to  a piece of wooded land outside Lewisburg, Ohio, where he could roam through the trees, watch the deer, and fully develop his interests in so many crafts—woodworking, blacksmithing, carving and painting among them.   His specialty became the design and creation of black-powder rifles, amazing in their detail and craftsmanship.

Bill was a lifelong Catholic, watching daily Mass on his laptop when he was no longer able to attend in person, and staunchly defending the values he was taught—love for family, dignity in conduct, respect for all of God’s gifts—primarily by example.  The family would like to thank Dr. Mark Schloneger and his compassionate staff for their patient care of Bill for many years; Dr. Abdul Wase and Dr. Stephen Schreck, whose expertise enabled Bill to have more time with his family; and the staff of Brookhaven Rehabilitation, who treated Bill with respect and kindness.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, November 9 at St. Christopher Catholic Church, 435 E. National Rd., Vandalia with Rev. Fr. John Tonkin officiating.   Burial will be private at a later time.  The family will receive friends at 10:00 am at the church, preceding Mass.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.