Bill was born June 16, 1946, in Robinson, Illinois, to William and Isolde Krueger Barnhart, both of whom preceded him in death. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Paris, and Bill spent most of his life in the Paris area before relocating to Clearwater in 2013. He married Jayne Shumaker on August 2, 1975, and she survives, along with their children Ann Barnhart, Richmond, Indiana, and David (Mandy) Barnhart, Hatboro, Pennsylvania. Also surviving are grandchildren Cage Barnhart and Faith Barnhart, Hatboro; his sister Rita (Richard) Hutchings, Paris; brother-in-law Harold (Carol) Shumaker, Buffalo, Illinois, and a nephew and several nieces. He was also preceded in death by his son-in-law Brian Rodgers.
Bill was part of the W. W. Barnhart Company in Paris for over 35 years, starting from the ground up and learning all aspects of the business. He served as Operations Manager, Vice-President of Operations and President before retiring in 2004.
Bill loved being outdoors, both in Illinois and on the beach in Florida. He was a fan of the Tampa Bay Rays, Lightning and Buccaneers, and he was a life-long Die Hard Cubs fan. He was thrilled when the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016.
Bill was a member of First Lutheran Church in Clearwater and formerly of Grace Lutheran Church in Paris. Next to his faith, his family was all-important to him. He was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather and cherished his time with his family.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 12 at First Lutheran Church in Clearwater with visitation one hour prior to the service. Memorials may be sent to First Lutheran Church and School, 1644 Nursery Rd, Clearwater, FL 33756 to be used for the school’s scholarship fund.
