William (Bill) Joseph Wawerna

Written by his daughter, Beth Wawerna
My father made it quite clear that he did not want any sappy eulogies or tearful speeches when he died - but he didn't say anything about the written word. So it seems I've found a loophole. Sorry, Dad.
William (Bill) Joseph Wawerna was born on August 16, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. He appreciated a good martini, but he appreciated the second one even more. He liked his pierogi fried - not boiled. He adored New York City, and always made a friend at the bar. As a basketball player at the University of Kentucky, he was the consummate athlete. He loved his brother's Italian cooking, hated driving in foreign countries and never, ever, stopped to ask for directions. As a result, he was very good at pummeling the steering wheel in times of distress. As kids, he made sure we were seasoned travelers, and he was never afraid to explore the more colorful aspects of the cities we visited. In fact it is because of my father that we were able to experience the world's preeminent cultural touchstones - The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, countless art museums, the English countryside, tropical islands, nude women in the windows of Amsterdam's Red Light District, a comically herculean stein of German beer, and a particularly turbulent case of Montezuma's Revenge - all by the age of 12. He was a terrific golfer, and he was very understanding when he realized that I was not. But most of all, he was uncomplicated and unfaltering in his love for his family and friends.
My father gave me many things: wisdom, love, compassion, heart - and a strangely beautiful but phonetically confounding Polish surname that no one is ever able to pronounce, thus earning me the nickname "Waweener" in grade school. It was bothersome. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Bill lived his life with grace, honor, bravery and dignity - and he left his life in the same manner. He fought fiercely to live - just as he fought for those he loved and those he promised to protect. As a soldier in the U.S. Air Force, he flew C-130s and KC-135 refueling planes in Vietnam, keeping his comrades safe and secure in times of battle. Later as a pilot for Delta Airlines, he spent 30 years getting people where they needed to go. And finally, as a dedicated father, friend, husband, son, grandfather and brother, he did much the same for us: We were always safe and secure - and we always got where we needed to go.
Bill is survived by his wife Carol Wawerna; children Michael Wawerna, Elizabeth Wawerna, and Brandon Seagroves; brother Peter Wawerna and sister Denise D'Alessio, grandchildren Asher & Ava Wawerna and Logan Seagroves; and beloved puppies Roxie and Baxter.