William Thomas Huffman Sr.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Huffman and Mary Allen (Minnie) Miles Huffman, and his brother, Charles James (Jim) Huffman. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Rae Marie Sachleben Huffman; his daughters, Mary (Matthew) Rosmus and Teresa (Gary) Voirol; his son, William (Angela) Huffman, Jr.; his grandchildren, Jenna (Raj Chawla), David, and Grant Voirol, Daniel and John Rosmus, Michael Huffman; and his great-granddaughter, Olivia Chawla-Voirol.

Bill was born in Louisville, KY, on January 15, 1939, to Charles Huffman and Mary Allen (Minnie) Miles Huffman, younger than his brother, Charles James (Jim) Huffman, by sixteen years. Bill was greatly influenced by the pastor and his teachers at St. Benedict’s Parish and Grade School where he made lifelong friends. He put himself through St. Xavier High School on the proceeds from his paper route. While in high school, he met the love of his life, Rae Marie Sachleben, on a blind date to a church dance. Misdirected by his friends, he arrived late to pick her up, almost missing his chance. He was exceedingly punctual for the remainder of his life.

Married at a young age, Bill earned a BA in Chemistry from the University of Louisville by taking night classes while working during the day in the lab at Pillsbury to support his young family. He left Pillsbury and the Louisville area in 1967 to take a job selling analytical instrumentation to industrial chemists for Hewlett Packard in Indianapolis. He worked his way up through the company during his career, moved to Libertyville, IL, where he became a Sales Manager, and retired as Sales and Support Manager for the Analytical Product Division of Hewlett Packard for the US, Latin American, and Canadian Regions.

Bill was a people person with a great sense of humor. He loved a good joke and told a great story. He never met a stranger and made instant friends wherever he went.

Family life and his children and grandchildren, and now his great-grandchild, were of the utmost importance to him and central to his life. When his children were young, Bill attended all their school plays, concerts, and sporting events. He coached T-ball, was active in parish life at St. Simon’s Catholic Church and School in Indianapolis, Parish Council, Chair of the Finance Committee and the Festival Committee, Bus Association, Lector, Cantor. In Libertyville, he served on the Advisory Committee to the Pastor at St. Joseph’s Church and as a volunteer in the nursing home where he brought his brother, Jim, to live. In retirement, Bill and Rae moved to Fort Wayne to be involved in the lives of some of their grandchildren. He served on the Advisory Finance Committee at St. Vincent’s Catholic Church, Fort Wayne, under Father John Kuzmich.

Bill and Rae loved to travel. Yearly family vacations with their young children were a highlight of Bill’s life. Car trips to Montreal, Maine, Florida, DC, and more featured roadside picnic lunches, early morning sightseeing or beach combing, and plenty of family fun and togetherness. In retirement, Bill and Rae traveled extensively, sometimes including the children and grandchildren on beach vacations. They celebrated their 50th anniversary by inviting the whole family on a Mediterranean cruise. Together, they achieved Bill’s goal of visiting every continent.

Bill was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite teams, including his alma maters, St. X and U of L, on TV and in person. He held season tickets to the Bengals and, later, to the Bears. He attended the Indianapolis 500 yearly for many years, along with numerous other sporting events, and achieved his bucket list items of attending the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby.

Visitation will be held at D.O. McComb and Sons Pine Valley Park Funeral Home, 1320 East Dupont Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Family and friends are invited to gather, remember, and celebrate a life lived with purpose, and an enduring love of family and fun.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 am on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, 1101 South Lafayette Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, with visitation one hour prior.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Xavier High School, Louisville, KY, St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen in Fort Wayne, or Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne.