William C. “Bill” Bedortha
William C. “Bill” Bedortha
d: April 11, 2017
William C. “Bill” Bedortha, age 76 of Horseshoe Bay, formerly of Austin, surrounded and supported by his loving family that he cherished so much, passed from this life to the next on Tuesday, April 11th, during Holy Week.
Bill got to celebrate his own Easter just a little early.
Bill is survived by his lifelong love and wife of almost 54 years, Mary Kay; and his five children and their spouses, Bill Bedortha ( Kate), Jay Bedortha (Ann), Molly Copa (Tom), Katie Robertson (James) and Christian Bedortha (Wendy) as well as his treasured grandchildren; Shannon, Liam and Jack Bedortha, Dylan James, Elizabeth, John, Joseph and Sarah Bedortha, Charlie, Sam, Will, Mary Grace and Lucy Copa, Mickey, Owen, Colin and Zach Platz, and Chase and Barrett Bedortha.
He is also survived by his sister; Joan Anonick (Al) and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Originally from Weirton West Virginia, and proud of it his entire life, Bill also made his home in Cleveland, Syracuse New York, and finally Austin and Horseshoe Bay for the past 27 years.
He absolutely loved his adopted state of Texas and would extol it’s virtues to anyone he met.
Bill was a force of nature.
Single-minded, driven, and one of the most loyal and uncompromising people you could ever meet, Bill was also an extremely dedicated and loving family man.
Although he was the founder and president of several successful companies, when asked, he would proudly say his greatest accomplishment was his family.
Like his father and grandfather before him, one of Bill’s first jobs was working in the steel mill during the summers.
Bill attended Linsly Military Academy and John Carrol University and the years that followed found him as a bar owner, funeral home employee, as well as salesman for various national companies before buying his first company and moving his family to Syracuse New York.
His entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to Austin, where he founded Convenience Marketing Network, which he started with himself and his son and grew into a nationally recognized powerhouse with over 100 employees.
Bill was a visionary and a pioneer in his field.
After he retired, Bill’s legendary work ethic led him to devote countless hours to the Paulist Associates, The Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and to spear head several transformative building projects at St. Paul the Apostle Church.
Bill was an accomplished athlete, earning a football scholarship before injury reversed those plans.
He was also an avid runner, completing 9 marathons and founding a 15k race in Syracuse.
He was also a devoted fan of his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events, often traveling early and late in order to not miss a game.
While Bill was a relentless leader who was both loyal and uncompromising, he was also a man of deep faith, with a compassionate nature, who never failed to give someone a second chance, a hand up, or a fresh start.
He loved nothing more than a good party, a family gathering or to spend time with friends old and new.
He will be missed by many, but touched the lives of many more through his visionary leadership and the hard work of a life well lived.
A funeral mass will be celebrated Wednesday April 19, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Horseshoe Bay.
Because this is a celebration, we request that you dress appropriately; no black attire and no suits.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Honor of Bill or to the St. Vincent DePaul Society.
Online condolences may be made at: www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com
