William J. ("Bill") Garmus passed away peacefully at the home of his daughter in Galena, Maryland, on December 19. He was born in Canton, Ohio, on November 17, 1924, the son of Anthony and Anna Garmus. After graduating from McKinley High School in 1942, he, like so many of his classmates, enlisted in the military. He proudly served in the Army Air Corps in the South Pacific Theater as a radar operator- navigator on B-24s. He received the Air Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of first lieutenant.

Bill attended Ohio State University and received combined bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering in 1951. While at Ohio State, he was elected to membership in the Phi Eta Sigma and Tau Beta Pi honor societies. At OSU, he participated in intramural softball, basketball and football, and refereed football games.

In 1948, while still in college, he married Dorothy Graham, his high school sweetheart. After his graduation in 1951, Bill joined the DuPont company at its Grasselli chemical plant in Cleveland, Ohio. This was followed by a three-year assignment in Wilmington, Delaware, and 10 years at the company's plant in East Chicago, Indiana, before he finished his 31-year career back in Wilmington. He served in production, technical and managerial positions. He retired from the Chemicals & Pigments Department in 1982.

He was active in the Lions Clubs in both Munster, Indiana, and Wilmington. He was a past president of the Munster club and was recognized for outstanding service from 1964 to 1972. He served on the Munster Zoning Commission before his transfer to Wilmington.

Bill enjoyed golf, bowling, gardening, travel, card games and all family activities. He was an avid fisherman. He had belonged to the Delaware Anglers & Gunners Club since 1979, serving on its board of directors as secretary and president, and spent 10 years in charge of legal efforts to preserve the club's exclusive fishing rights in Shallcross Lake. For those and other efforts, he was selected as "Member of the Year" in 1999. In 2017, the club named a portion of Shallcross Lake after Bill. He and his wife, Dot, had a cottage at Shallcross Lake where they spent many memorable times fishing and relaxing.

Bill was very devoted to his wife, daughters, grandchildren and great- grandchildren, and shared many wonderful activities with them. In 2006, Bill and Dot moved to Maris Grove, a retirement home in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where they continued to enjoy an active life and made many new friends. While living at Maris Grove, Bill won five Wii bowling championships. In 2018, Bill and Dot gave up their apartment and moved to Rose Court, the assisted-living facility at Maris Grove.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Dorothy (Graham) Garmus, who died October 9, 2018. He is survived by his daughter Lori Hill and her husband, David, of Galena, Maryland; his daughter Kathy Garmus and her wife, Marge Carl, of Dayville, Connecticut; and his pride and joy, granddaughter Stephanie Smith and her husband, Joshua, and their children, Jackson and Madeline Smith, of Lewes, Delaware; his sister-in-law, Haroldine Wilds, of Canton, Ohio; and numerous nieces and nephews. He also enjoyed his step- grandchildren and their children at family functions. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Paul, Ralph and Carl.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a memorial service will be held in the spring at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

If you would like to honor Bill, contributions can be sent to: Galena Lions Charities, P.O. Box 141, Galena, MD 21635. Condolences may be left at www.nolanfidale.com