Rev. William A. Seith

      COSHOCTON – William Arthur Seith, 93, died Saturday, September 21, 2019 at his residence in Coshocton, Ohio.

      William ‘Bill’ Seith was born July 11, 1926 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Franklin A. and E. Carolyn (Fausnaugh) Seith.  He served as pastor in the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church from 1956 to 2004.  He pastored; Calvary EUB, North Lima; Trinity UMC, Mansfield; Rittman UMC, Rittman; Goodyear Hts UMC, Goodyear Hts; Lorain First UMC, Lorain; Elyria UMC, Elyria; and Zion UMC, Amherst.  He also served as interim and associate pastor at Vermilion Evangelical & Reform Church, Vermilion Ohio.

      Bill graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in January 1945. Just as he entered the Army Air Corps to serve in World War II.  He was a Bachelor of Arts graduate of North Central College 1951, Bachelor of Divinity graduate of The Evangelical Theological Seminary 1956, both located in Naperville, IL.  However, his greatest “degree” was in loving, caring for and encouraging people.  Whomever crossed his path was his friend and you would not soon forget him.  His passion and exuberance for life gave the message of the love and salvation of Christ a real and transforming presence to thousands of people throughout his life.  Including the wonderful Hospice caregivers that attended him so well in his final months.

      Bill is most famous for being a master of puns!  He could give you a pun on every sentence you said and make you laugh till you cried with joke after joke after joke.  Shortly after he and Mary, moved to Coshocton, OH to be cared for by his daughter Sharon and son-in-law Les, he was much delayed in returning home.  Sharon was able to track him down simply by calling several stores in town where he may have stopped and asked, “Did an elderly gentleman stop there? He might have told you a joke about a hamburger?”.  As each clerk joyfully confirmed his visit, Bill was soon found to be headed home!

      Bill’s most favorite place on earth is Linwood Park, Vermilion Ohio.  Not only did he respond to a call into the ministry, receive ordination and his first 2 church appointments during summer conference at Linwood, he spent some of every one of his 94 summers there.  Linwood Park will always carry the laughter, love and joy that Bill Seith carried wherever he went.

      He is survived by seven children, Cindy (Larry) Shepherd of Deltona, FL; Laurie (Jim) Ginn of Lake Worth, FL; Cyndy (David) Bingham of Shreveport, LA; Neil (Yvonne) Elliott of Crestline; Sharon (Les) Revennaugh of Coshocton OH, Susan (Tom) Becerra of Rittman, OH and Bruce (Misty) Seith of Shreve, OH; ten grandchildren; twenty great-grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren and a brother, John ‘Jack’ (Joanne) Seith; and sister-in-law Lois (Henning) Seith.

      He is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife of 16 years, Mavis Jeannene (Allen), second wife of 53 years Mary A. (Hill), a brother, Donald E. Seith, and a grandson, Larry ‘Skip’ Shepherd II. 

      A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, September 28, 2019 at the Vermilion E&R Church, 752 Grand St, Vermilion, OH 44089, with Pastor Nick Caichitori officiating.  Visitation is one hour prior to service time at the church.  His remains will be laid to rest at a later date in Mansfield Memorial Park, Ontario, OH.  The Fischer Funeral Home in Warsaw in handling arrangements.  www.fischerfuneralhome.com

      In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Vermilion E&R Church; or to Community Hospice, 716 Commercial Ave SW, New Philadelphia, OH 44663.

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