William Balcer

William “Bill” Eugene Balcer, Jr., Age 75 of Burton, was joyfully welcomed into God’s presence and finally reunited with his precious baby daughter, Rebekah Anne, on September 28, 2026, when he went home to be with the Lord.

Bill was born in Flint, MI on January 18, 1951, to the late Mr. & Mrs. William E. Balcer Sr. He was the beloved husband of 42 years to his wife Laura (Martin) Balcer; father of Randy (Krista) Balcer, Shane (Kristina) Balcer, Sarah (Jason) Barclay, William (Katie) Balcer III; and grandfather to Carson Balcer, Max Balcer, Preston Balcer, Jacob Barclay, Rory Balcer, Hannah Barclay, Rebekah Barclay, and Abigail Barclay.

Bill loved his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, with his whole heart. Each year, he faithfully read through his Bible from cover to cover and oftentimes reading it in entirety more than once. He was a former member of Twin Cities Baptist Church, where he had been very involved. Known as “The Candy Man” by the children he brought to church through the bus ministry. He always kept candy in his pockets and firmly believed that dessert should always be eaten first. He enjoyed singing in the church choir and whistling tunes, always carrying a song in his joyful heart.

He loved spending his time in the great outdoors; whether he was simply tending to his pristine lawn, fishing, observing local wildlife or walking hand-in-hand down Laura’s Lane – a beautiful, wooded trail that he created specially for his wife of 42 years, Laura. Together, they built a beautiful addition onto their home and a peaceful cabin nestled in scenic Lewiston, MI. He enjoyed staying busy, never seeming to keep his hands still, always working on various home renovation projects or trying to repair things, a tinkerer since boyhood. He loved to figure out how and why things worked, often taking things apart and putting them back together.

Bill was an avid gardener, and he loved spending fall days canning the fruits of his labor with his wife, as he had done for many summers with his favorite Aunt Juanita. It should be noted that his favorite food was potatoes; fries, mashed potatoes, potato soup — he loved them all. If someone had made potato flavored ice cream he probably would have ordered it. He truly loved all potato dishes.

He spent much of his time in his workshop at home in Burton, where he found great pleasure in woodworking, carving and being creative. Christmas was his favorite time of year because he absolutely loved to give and spend dedicated time with family. For many years he opened his home to host a large extended family Christmas party which many loved ones enjoyed. He found fulfillment in making handmade, one of a kind, personalized gifts that truly came from his heart to give to his loved ones. As he made each gift, he spent time in deep thought and prayers for its recipient.

Bill would tell you that the best gift he ever received was salvation by faith through Jesus Christ. The Christmas gift he cherished the most, however, arrived packaged as a precious baby girl born on Christmas Day 1985, Rebekah Anne. Although she only lived for 12 short days, she made a lifechanging impact on him. He spent the remainder of his years looking forward to being reunited with her and the many loved ones who had gone before him.

Bill was a hard worker and a fantastic provider for his family. He took great pride in his work as a Skilled Trades Machine Repairist with GM, dedicating 36 years of his life to working in Plant 10. His extremely kind & jovial personality made him seem like the most popular man in all of Flint. He never knew a stranger, and ran into someone he knew everywhere he went, whether on a trip to Meijers for groceries or just out and about. To know him was to love him, and everyone knew Bill. He maintained his pleasant personality throughout his life, in sickness and health.

He is survived by his sisters Sharon Fielding of Birch Run, Deb (Neil) Warner of Tawas City; his precious Aunt Juanita McCallie, who shared Jesus’ love for him as a child, and special cousin Anne (Gary) Francisco both of Oklahoma; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his beautiful baby daughter, Rebekah Anne; his parents, William E. Balcer Sr. and Gearldene (Knight) Balcer, his brothers Clifford Balcer, Gary Balcer & Allen Balcer, and his special niece, Pami Upton.

Visitation will take place at Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Flint, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 11am until the time of service at the funeral home. The funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m. 

Interment will be at Crestwood Memorial Cemetery, 2020 E Hill Road, Grand Blanc.