CARDINGTON – William Frederick “Bill” LaRoche, Sr., 91, of Cardington, passed away at his home on Monday afternoon, July 31, 2023.
On Sept. 12, 1931, Bill was born in Bellaire, Ohio, a son of the late Walter Raymond and Mary Ellen (Robson) LaRoche. The family moved to Morrow County in 1939, purchasing a farm on St. Rt. 61. He graduated from Mount Gilead High School in the class of 1949. Bill helped on the farm milking cows, making hay, etc. and in the mid-1950s, they transitioned to beef cattle.
He worked for North Electric in Mount Gilead and Galion, then spent 23 years at HPM in Mount Gilead.
As a young man, Bill and some friends went to a dance at the skating rink in Marion where he met E. Jean Mahler, who he married on Aug. 11, 1955. They spent nearly 68 years together and raised five children. Bill enjoyed hunting, sports, farming, guns and pulling his 1976 Dodge truck, which he called “The Red Baron” and was later changed to “Ol’ Red.” He had a love, or you might say “an addiction,” for dogs. He hunted squirrels and rabbits and most of all loved coon hunting. He had beagles to hunt rabbits and some different types of coon dogs but loved his Blueticks. At one point in the late '60s and early '70s, he had over 40 dogs, including pups. He was usually very “brand specific.” Dodge trucks, Chrysler products for cars, Bluetick coon dogs and Black Angus beef cattle – he didn’t want any odd colors in the herd! Bill could tell you about his hunting adventures in Morrow, Marion, Knox and Crawford Counties, as well as Kentucky with some of his hunting buddies. He could tell you who owned the land, something about the hunts there and usually something about the families that lived there. Bill enjoyed the Ohio State Buckeyes, Bellaire Big Red and Mount Gilead Indians. He played football in high school, fast-pitch softball for many years and picked up volleyball later in life, playing until he was 74 years old.
Left to cherish Bill’s memory are his wife, E. Jean LaRoche, of Cardington; five children: Susan (Dave) Sherman, William “Bill” (Robin) LaRoche, Jr., Raymond “Lud” LaRoche, Sr., Patricia “Patty” (Wes) Filger and Nancy (Rich) Nance; 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister.
Bill’s family will greet friends from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Snyder Funeral Homes, Mount Gilead Chapel, 67 N. Main St., Mount Gilead. Services to honor and celebrate his life will begin there at noon with the Rev. Dr. Roger N. Morris officiating. Burial will follow in Rivercliff Cemetery.
Memorial contributions in Bill’s name may be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Morrow County or the Red Cross. Bill’s family would like to thank Ohio’s Hospice of Morrow County for their help and care, Angels Home Care, Snyder Funeral Homes and all of those who added to the memories Bill had over the years hunting, farming, pulling and sports. Snyder Funeral Homes of Mount Gilead are honored to have been chosen to serve Bill’s family. Special memories or condolences may be shared by visiting SnyderFuneralHomes.com.
