William R. Wolff

William R. Wolff, 86, of Cuyahoga Falls, peacefully passed away October 23, 2021 after a brief illness. He was a graduate of North High School and was employed at Babcock & Wilcox for 34 years.

How do you capture on paper a larger than life personality? Well, here goes:

Bill was a one-in-a-million kind of guy. He was one of the funniest, most gregarious people you’d ever encounter. But Bill was so much more than that. In 1964, he was the only dad taking tap and ballet recital routine practice notes for his three year old daughter, Laura, followed by their weekly trips to the library after dance class. While coaching his son, Greg’s, Little League baseball team, Bill was the coach that made sure that every boy got a chance to play. He was the ultimate “Fun Dad”. As proof, he hosted the entire baseball team at the family cabin in southern Ohio that included swimming, fishing and motorcycle riding. Whether it was taking vacation days from work in order to chaperone his children’s field trips or being the parent who picked up Greg, Laura and their friends from Blossom Music Center at midnight on weeknights and driving everyone home no matter how far away they lived, Bill was the dad that showed up.

Bill will always be remembered for his love of jazz music, babies, and dogs. He was well known for his sense of humor, his intellectual curiosity, and his joie de vivre. At the age of 78, Bill enrolled himself in Italian language classes and trumpet lessons. He was always working on learning to speak French and would practice his word of the day by quizzing Laura. Bill was a monthly donor to St. Jude Children’s Hospital because “those commercials are so sad.”. He was the kind of grandfather who was there taking care of the latest newborn to come home from the hospital so that their parents could get some rest. While being interviewed at the ER while suffering a heart attack, Bill was asked if he was allergic to anything and his response was “Yeah; country music.”. Bill appreciated the genius of George Carlin’s observations of the world and frequently referenced them. Bill was also known for some of his own quotes: “You’ve got to be a willow, not an oak.”, “Love people for what they are, not what they should be.”, and “Everybody is somebody’s weirdo.”. Bill always had a joke to tell or some kind of funny quip. He was an expert at the daily crossword puzzle published in the newspaper. His breadth of knowledge was incredible; from Maurice Ravel to Kid Rock. At age 73, Bill was invited and traveled to New York City to audition for a spot on the television program Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Unfortunately, he did not make the cut because he didn’t know Jenny’s number. Bill was the king of jitterbug dancing and limoncello making. As a self-described poet, Bill enjoyed reading and writing poetry for his family and even the nurses who took care of him while he was hospitalized . Whether discussing epistemology (that drove most of the family to the dictionary), or making homemade pasta noodles and mastering his Instant Pot at age 83, Bill was a true Renaissance Man.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Frances Wolff, and his wife of 52 years, Carol.

He is survived by daughter, Laura (spouse Dr. Timothy Moore), son, Greg (spouse Lori Wolff) and grandchildren Colin, Gillian and Meghan Moore, Brittany and Gregory Wolff, and Lindsey Nickolich, as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind many friends who brought much joy to him at The Cashmere Cricket and The Burntwood Tavern, where Bill has a chair at the bar dedicated to him displaying an engraved nameplate that reads “VIP Billy Wolff”.

The family would like to recognize Elizabeth, his visiting nurse from Aspire Healthcare and Grace Hospice for the loving care they provided to Bill in his final days.

A special shout-out to Dr. Bryan O’Connell, who had to put up with Bill’s jokes: “So what are you telling me Doc, don’t buy any more green bananas?”.

See you on the other side, Dad!

Due to health and safety concerns, the family will be holding a private graveside service. A memorial for Bill will be announced at a later date.