Bill Pace

William D. Pace, Sr., 81, of Bucyrus died Wednesday, July 29, 2015 at MedCentral-Mansfield Hospital.

He was born in Kentucky on September 2, 1933 to the late Clayton Pace Sr. and Edna (Hignite) Pace, a family of sharecroppers who bought a 300 acre family farm outside of Connersville, Indiana in 1940 for the huge sum of $3,000! It was on the farm where Bill learned how hard it was to plow 300 acres with a team of horses. After WW2, the family bought a tractor for the plowing and he loved tractors the rest of his life. Bill was also preceded in death by siblings, Hortense Chaney (Odell), Clayton Pace, Jr. and Lucien Pace.

Growing up in Indiana, basketball was king. His first basketball goal was a burned out trash barrel nailed to a tree on the farm and the basketball was old clothes rolled up with duct tape. When Clayton Jr. bought him his first real basketball, the rest was history. Bill played for Orange High School where he would graduate in 1951 in a class of eight students. After working at a grocery store, he made his way to Defiance College in Ohio. This is where he ruled the hardwood and set many scoring records, several of which stand to this day. He shot 58% from what would now be 3 point range. During his freshman year, he scored 36 points when Defiance played Bowling Green. After the game, the head coach of BGSU offered him a full ride, but Bill turned it down telling the coach, “Defiance gave me my chance when nobody else would so I'm staying here.” This spoke to the loyalty that was displayed throughout his life.

After receiving his degree from Defiance, Bill married the beautiful Jane Emily Cordray on June 24, 1956. They met at the restaurant where she worked as a waitress. He furthered his education with a master’s degree from Indiana U. in Bloomington in 1962. He later went to Kent State to work on his doctorate and stopped just a few hours short when he felt that he could better help students prepare for life as a guidance counselor, which he loved more than basketball, than as an administrator.

Bill firmly believed that sports helped students for the game of life. He also taught history and was a driver’s ed instructor. He coached girls’ softball and basketball at Oakwood High School for one year, then it was on to Deshler where he coached basketball and baseball, including future major leaguer Rich Reese of the Minnesota Twins. Then it was on to Bucyrus where he coached freshman football for one season and was the head basketball coach. Bill is the all-time winningest basketball coach in school history. He was proud to bring two NOL championships to the Bucyrus community, including their only unbeaten NOL basketball championship in 1965. BHS also shared the NOL title in 1968 with Willard but, by beating the Flashes twice, BHS left no doubt about who was the best team. He declined several offers to go to bigger schools and coach after falling in love with the Bucyrus community and its students. He never wanted to leave and he never did.

After retiring, Bill enjoyed his kids and grandkids. He was a big Indiana fan all of his life but in later years became a big Ohio State fan. He loved the OSU basketball and football teams and would watch on TV or go to the games with his kids. In his later years he would have breakfast with the best assistant coach of all time, Roger Sturgeon, and has been a devoted caregiver to his beloved wife. He was the true Bucyrus basketball Renaissance man and he will be sorely missed.

Bill leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Jane Pace, along with sons, William D. Pace, Jr. (Debbie) of Vail, Arizona, Robert Pace of Caledonia, Ohio and daughter, Mary Jane Lepley (Bruce) of Bucyrus; grandchildren, Tim Pace (Julie), Andrea Pace-Pollock (Titus), Cameron Pace, Nicole Jones, Katie Jones and Chantal Pace; and great grandchildren, Justice Dye, Kaleb Chapman, Mitchell Chapman, Bryson Kent and Allie Kent.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 1 at 2:00 pm at Good Hope Lutheran Church where the Pace family will receive friends two hours priors to the service. Burial will follow in Oakwood Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Good Hope Steeple Fund or the Alzheimer's Association through Wise Funeral Service, 129 W. Warren St., Bucyrus, Ohio 44820. Memories are encouraged in the Memorial Guestbook below.



Visitation:

Saturday, August 1, 2015 12 Noon - 2 p.m.

Good Hope Lutheran Church, 129 W. Charles St., Bucyrus, Ohio 44820



Service:

Saturday, August 1, 2015 2:00 p.m.

Good Hope Lutheran Church, 129 W. Charles St., Bucyrus, Ohio 44820



Cemetery:

Oakwood Cemetery, 835 Kaler Ave., Bucyrus, Ohio 44820