Willard D. “Bill” Shipley, age 92, passed away Sunday, October 4, 2026 in Ontario Estates Senior Living. Bill was born on April 14, 1934 in Fredericktown to the late Willard L. & Rachel Seymour Shipley.
Family is what mattered most to Bill. He married the former Janice Ault on June 3, 1955 at the Methodist Parsonage in Amherst, Ohio. Together they shared 54 wonderful years of marriage until her passing on October 4, 2009. Bill proudly served his country in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic for two years before being honorably discharged. After his time in the service, Bill was a dedicated employee of General Motors. He worked on the Salvage Repair Line for just shy of 41 years.
Bill wasn’t one to slow down much, so after his retirement from GM he worked at the Waterford in Mansfield for 10 years, helping residents get to and from appointments safely. He would also take the residents shopping and on his famous “country drives”.
Bill was very involved in his church, serving as the Sunday School Superintendent while a member of the Methodist Church in Johnsville. He also attended Mansfield Baptist Temple, Crossroads Church and Core Community Church in Shelby.
In his free time, Bill enjoyed working on crossword puzzles and reading. He and Janice also operated a craft business from their home for 10 years. Work kept him busy, but he was never too busy to spend time with his beloved family. He took great pride in being a good husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He will be fondly remembered by his daughter and son-in-law, Connie and Charles Brinegar of Ontario, daughter, Debra Shipley Leavens of Jacksonville, Florida and by his son, Michael Shipley of Mt. Orab, Ohio. Bill was blessed with four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A service honoring Bill’s life and faith will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, October 9, 2026 in the Marion Avenue Snyder Funeral Home with Pastor Ben Carver officiating. Musical selections will be played by Krista Carver. The family will greet friends from 10:00 am until the time of service at the funeral home. Burial with military honors will follow in Shauck Cemetery in Johnsville.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Ontario Estates for the excellent care they provided for the last three years as well as Kind Hearts Hospice for their care since March of this year.
Snyder Funeral Homes, Marion Avenue Chapel is honored to care for Bill and serve his family. To leave a condolence for the family or to share a fond memory please visit Bill’s obituary page at www.SnyderFuneralHomes.com
Funeral Home: Marion Avenue Snyder Funeral Home
Website: www.SnyderFuneralHomes.com