William Francis Berlin

William Francis Berlin, age 93, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 6, 2025 at his home in Maumee, Ohio surrounded by his family. Bill was born in Findlay, Ohio on September 6, 1932 to Francis and Genevieve (Dye) Berlin. Following the loss of his father at the age of 6, due to an electrical accident at work, his mother, brothers and sister moved to Toledo, Ohio. After his father's passing, Bill and his siblings spent their summers at Lady of the Lake a catholic orphanage in Michigan near Luna Pier, while their mother worked for Champion Spark Plug to support her family. Bill was drafted into the army during the Korean War, where he served as a forward observer and rose to the rank of Sgt. He was very private about his military experience, sharing only occasionally. Days before passing he mentioned there was a period of time he couldn't remember until he got to the Freedom bridge. We promised to investigate this for him the last time we talked. He worked various jobs after Korea, and met his wife while installing a driveway for her father. He went on to become an electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union of Toledo. Bill and Pat moved to Swanton, Ohio to live on a large farm so they could own horses. Bill was very active in 4H with his children and spent many years involved in the Fulton County Fair. He was a very accomplished rider and horse trainer himself. For almost 30 years Bill spent his retirement winters in Ft Myers Beach, Florida playing tennis, golf, and card games with his wife and many longtime friends. Everyone who knew Bill loved him. He was a very hard working, generous, and happy man. The kind of person everyone wanted to be around. Many of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren thought he was a superhero because he was so strong and always there to help them out. He will be greatly missed.
Bill is survived by his two sons, Jeffrey Berlin (and his wife Joanne) of Maumee, Ohio and Douglas Berlin of Ft Myers Beach, Florida; daughter, Suzanne Berlin of The Villages, Florida; three grandchildren, Ashleigh, Randal, and Andrew; three great-grandchildren, Olivia, Kaya, and Kingston; and many loving in-laws, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia (Strance) Berlin; parents, Francis and Genevieve Berlin; two brothers, James and Joseph; and sister, Patricia Guinn. Private services were held at the Ottawa Hills Memorial Park in Toledo, Ohio. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Cherry Street Mission, 1501 Monroe Street, Toledo, OH 43604. Donations may be made online at www.cherrystreetmission.org and clicking on "Give Today".

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