William Yurkowsky

WILLIAM "BILL" YURKOWSKY JR., WAS BORN IN AKRON, OHIO ON JANUARY 22, 1927 AND DIED NOVEMBER 12, 2022 IN WINTER PARK, FLORIDA. HE WAS 95 YEARS OLD. HE WAS THE SON OF WILLIAM A. AND MARY YURKOWSKY, AND HE AND HIS SIBLINGS GREW UP IN AKRON.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM EAST HIGH IN AKRON, BILL SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY DURING WWII. AFTER HIS DISCHARGE, HE ENROLLED AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE HE EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING IN 1951. HE LATER EARNED AN MBA FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY IN 1959. HE DID POST GRADUATE STUDY IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION at UCLA.

HIS 40 YEAR CAREER IN INDUSTRY WAS HEAVILY IN QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGEMENT, QUALITY ENGINEERING, AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING.

HIS FIRST CAREER WAS IN TIRE MANUFACTURING, WHICH INCLUDED QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGEMENT REPONSIBILITY IN A BRANCH PLANT IN TEXAS, AND THEN A SIMILAR ASSIGNMENT AT THE HOME PLANT IN AKRON. THE NEXT PROGRESSION WAS ASSIGNNMENT AS QUALITY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR ALL TIRE MANUFACTURING AS A MEMBER OF THE CORPORATE QUALITY DIRECTOR'S STAFF. THE FINAL TIRE INDUSTRY ASSIGNMENT WAS FACTORY MANAGER AT THE FACILITY IN BRAZIL.

HIS SECOND INDUSTRIAL CAREER WAS IN THE AEROSPACE AREA. IT ENTAILED RESEARRCH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACCELERATED LIFE TEST METHODS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DESIGNER OF WEAPON SYSTEMS TO SELECT COMPONENTS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE MOST RELIABLE HARDWARE.

HIS THIRD CAREER DEALT WITH THE QUALTY ASSURANCE AND RELIABILTY OF THE MAJOR COMPONENTS MANUFACTURED FOR SEVERAL OF THE NATION'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMS.
HIS FOURTH CAREER WAS IN SUPPORT OF NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM. HE WAS AN ASSOCIATE GENERAL MANAGER FOR BASE OPERATIONS FOR THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

BILL HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY SINCE 1952, HE HOLDS ASQ CERTIFICATION AS A QUALITY ENGINEER, AND AS A CERTIFIED QUALITY AUDITOR. HE WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE AKRON-CANTON SECTION OF ASQ. HE WAS ELECTED A FELLOW OF ASQ IN 1983.

HE IS A LICENSED PROFESSIOAL ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

HE WAS AN ALTAR BOY AT ST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AKRON (NOW IN MOGADORE, OHIO). HE SERVED ON THE PARISH COUNCIL AT ST. NICHOLAS WHEN HE LIVED IN AKRON. HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL OF ST. INNOCENT ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ENCINO, CALIFORNIA, AND OF ST. SIMEON ORTHODOX CHURCH IN TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA.

HE WAS AWARDED A GRAMOTA BY THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA FOR BEING A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF ORTHODOX STEWARDS.
BILL WAS MARRIED TO HIS WIFE BARBARA FROM JULY OF 1965, UNTIL HER DEATH IN OCTOBER OF 1981. BILL WAS ALSO PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, BROTHERS ANDREW AND MICHAEL AND HIS SISTER ELIZABETH (BETTY).
HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS CHILDREN: MELANI (JAMES) MENKE OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA; AND MICHAEL (ASHLEY) YURKOWSKY OF ST AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA; 4 GRANDCHILDREN: NICHOLAS, BRIANA, GREY AND HOLLIS; AS WELL AS MANY LOVING EXTENDED FAMILY.

FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2022 AT 2 P.M. AT THE ANTHONY FUNERAL HOME KUCKO-ANTHONY-KERTESZ CHAPEL, 1990 S. MAIN ST. AKRON, OHIO 44301. VERY REV. FR. NICHOLAS WYSLUTSKY OFFICIATING. INTERMENT AT ST. NICHOLAS CEMETERY IN AKRON. THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS FRIDAY, 5 TO 7 P.M. AT THE FUNERAL HOME WHERE A PARASTAS SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT 5 P.M.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO THE ST. NICHOLAS CEMETERY FUND.


 

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