William Vanac

May 29, 1918 - June 12, 2011

William Vanac, 93, of Hambden Township, passed away June 12, 2011, at Geauga Medical Center in Claridon Township.Born May 29, 1918, in Munson Township, he had been a lifelong resident of the Chardon area.Mr. Vanac was a self-employed dairy farmer for 40 years, retiring in 1975. He then worked as a tractor mechanic for Paul Robison and Company in Thompson.William Vanac married Helen Wierzbicki in Cleveland in 1961. She preceded in death Dec. 13, 2007. He was a member of the Church of St. Mary in Chardon. Mr. Vanac was always a farmer and he loved to tend his large garden. In the spring, he produced maple syrup at his sugarbush, winning the best syrup award at the Geauga County Maple Festival. He also enjoyed playing pinochle at the Thompson Senior Center.Survivors are his two daughters, Mary Vanac of Kent and Barbara (Edward) Hocevar of Euclid; and three grandchildren, Jessica, Edward, and Sarah.He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Mary (Kubat) Vanac; wife, Helen; two brothers, Edward and Charles; and two sisters, Rose Barnes and Ann Holowaty.Funeral Mass will be held 10 a.m. Monday, June 20, 2011, at the Church of St. Mary, 401 North St., Chardon.Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Burr Funeral Home, 116 South St., (Route 44, 500 feet south of Route 6/Chardon Square), Chardon. Burial will be in Hambden Township Cemetery.Contributions are suggested to the Geauga County Department of Aging, Attention: Thompson Senior Center, 12555 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon, OH 44024.Information and online condolences at www.burrservice.com.

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My deepest sympathy to Mary and her sister, Barbara. Though I'd never met him, your dad sounds like he was a wonderful father and such a good person. I know what a difficult time this must be for you girls --just know that he is happy and in heaven with your mom right now and that they are both looking after you. I'll keep you in my prayers and hope that time will make this situation a little more bearable for you.

Bill was a great friend and neighbor to all our family on kile road. My prayers go to his family.

William Vanac, Page 1My dad and his twin sister, Ann, were born May 29, 1918 -- the youngest of seven children -- to Charles and Mary Vanac in Munson Township, Ohio. One brother died in infancy; sister Elma Vanac died at age 18 from pneumonia. Dad said his brothers and sisters grew up on bread and milk (and maple syrup) because the meat raised on their farm was sold to take care of the family.My dad left high school at age 17 and with his father bought a 150-acre farm in Montville Township out of foreclosure. It was 1935 -- the year the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was formed to combat unemployment during the Great Depression. Within a few years, the WPA built an outhouse for my dadâ€™s Kile Road farm. My father, grandfather and grandmother lived in an old clapboard farmhouse until they built a new house. My father and grandfather pieced together a wonderful stone porch from rocks found on the farm, which is located in the headwaters of the Cuyahoga River....