William Lammers

William I. (Bill) Lammers, 90, of Fairlawn died on August 25, 2021 after a short battle with COVID-19. He was fully vaccinated.

He was the son of Irving and Ann Lammers and was born in Jackson, Michigan on June 29, 1931. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his wife of 60 years, Roseanne (nee Raub), whom he married in 1959.

He is survived by his sons William Lammers Jr. and John Lammers (Jennifer), daughter Catharine Lammers Kessler (Thomas) and granddaughters Sophia and Sara Lammers.

Bill lived most of his childhood years in Detroit with a stop in Queens, New York and another in Connecticut. After graduating from the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut in 1949, he attended the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in marketing and graduated cum laude in 1953.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1953-55 before beginning a 31-year career in sales and management at Firestone, first working in Akron, then transferring to Michigan and then moving back to stay in Akron. He later owned two bookstores - the Newsstand in Cuyahoga Falls and the Newsrack in Akron - from 1987 until his retirement in 1996.

Bill and Roseanne were married on June 6, 1959. They lived first in Akron, then in Michigan, and then in Cuyahoga Falls before they settled into their new home on Brookpark Drive in Northampton Township, where they raised their family. After their children were grown, they moved to Fairlawn in 1986.

Bill was an active member of Toastmasters, the Cuyahoga Falls Executive Club and the Rotary Club of Cuyahoga Falls. He was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Cuyahoga Falls from 1965-86 and the St. Hilary Parish in Fairlawn since 1986. He also worked as a volunteer at Cleveland Clinic Akron General for many years.

Earlier this summer, in late June and early July, Bill celebrated his 90th birthday with his children and grandchildren, as he and his family enjoyed barbecues, sightseeing and memorable conversations about great times past and present. Bill was healthy and fit as he turned 90. He didn't look a day older than he did 26 summers earlier when he walked his daughter down the aisle at her wedding and chose Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" as the song for his and Catharine's unforgettable father-daughter dance.

Bill always loved New York, going all the way back to his childhood when he and his friends would ride the Staten Island Ferry. He and Roseanne traveled there often. They also enjoyed memorable trips to Europe.

Bill loved the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team and also was a fan of the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Most of all, he was a loving, devoted, supportive and proud husband, father and grandfather. He will be sadly missed, and he will be remembered for always having a positive outlook on everything.

The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff members at Cleveland Clinic Akron General for their care and compassion during Bill's illness.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 9:00am Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021 at St Hilary Catholic Church, 2750 W. Market St. Fairlawn, Ohio 44333, where friends may visit one hour prior. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest donations to Catholic Charities.