Obituaries

His brother-in-law

How does one measure the total of one man’s life? We don’t know. But we do know that Bill Papierniak was a man we deeply loved and respected.
He was what we would call a truly gregarious man. And we don’t mean that in some formal dictionary sense. We mean Bill loved people. He loved being around people. He made you feel welcome the minute you walked through the door.
As you look at this photograph from another time, remember that your father was truly the center of the picture — with your mother by his side, his twin sister Kathy nearby, his children around him, and Ron and Kathy’s boys there too. Even then, you could already see the kind of man Bill was becoming — someone who would spend the rest of his life gathering people around him: family, friends, grandchildren, in-laws, neighbors, and anyone fortunate enough to know him.
That was your father. A man who could turn a gathering into a family, a cookout into a celebration, and an ordinary evening into a memory. He was happiest when the house was full, people were laughing, food was on the table, and everyone felt they belonged.
He wasn’t just at the party — Bill was usually the reason the party became one. He touched many people throughout his life. He was a “party animal” in the very best sense of the words. He never met a stranger for long. He drew people in. He made them feel comfortable. He made them feel seen.
And even when Bill was sizing Ron up back in 1969, trying to understand what his sister saw in him — and believe us, he sized him up pretty hard in the beginning — there was always warmth underneath it. Before long, you realized his humor, his laugh, and his openness were simply who he was.
The world around all of us will never be quite the same with his passing. But perhaps the best way we can honor Bill is to carry forward some of the joy, openness, laughter, and kindness he brought into all of our lives every single day.
You will be truly missed — Ron and Kathy