William Lee Garabrandt

William Lee “Smoke” Garabrandt, Sr., 81, of Uhrichsville, Ohio, died Monday, January 31, 2011 at Beacon Pointe Rehabilitation Center in Uhrichsville after a lengthy illness. He was born in Dennison, Ohio on November 12, 1929, a son of the late Samuel and Verna Rae (Riley) Garabrandt.

A graduate of Dennison High School in the class of 1948, Bill was a lifelong resident of the Twin City area and a long time member of Uhrichsville First Assembly of God. He retired from Stocker Sand and Gravel at Gnadenhutten in 1975 after many years of employment as a welder there.

Bill’s surviving family includes a son, William L. Garabrandt, Jr. of Florida; two daughters, Diane Garabrandt of Wooster and Teresa Garabrandt of Uhrichsville; five step-children whom he raised like his own, Debra, Penny Richard, Charlotte and Brenda; five grandchildren, Ryan (Catherine), Kristina (LaBecca), Wayne, Kyle and Gloria Ann; two great grandchildren, Alexia and Colt; nine step-grandchildren; sixteen step-great-grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Roger (Flora) Poulton of Freeport; his former spouse, Beverly Garabrandt of Uhrichsville; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Opal V. “Boots” (McCourt) Garabrandt to whom he was married on April 9, 1999; three brothers, Sam, Charles and Glenn Garabrandt; and three sisters, Marjorie Marie Cottrell, Betty Espenschied, and Gladys Love.

Services for Bill, officiated by Pastor Tom Klaserner, will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 4, in the R.K. Lindsey Funeral Home at Dennison. Interment will be with his parents in Uhrichsville’s Union Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to call at the funeral home from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday.
R.K. Lindsey Funeral Home, Inc.
(740) 922-1970
www.lindseyfh.com