William Hunter Saum

William Hunter Saum, 76, passed away after a courageous battle with lung cancer on September 8th, 2018. Bill was born to Ethel Margaret Effland on May 6th, 1942 in Akron, Ohio at City Hospital. From the time of his birth to 6 years old, he lived with the Baumgartner Foster Family in Doylestown, Ohio. After Ethel's marriage, Bill was adopted by his mother and Charles Edward Saum on January 10th, 1948. Bill attended Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio, where he made many lifelong friends. As a teenager, his passion was drag racing. He worked as a paperboy and as an attendant at local service stations. In 1960, Bill joined the United States Air Force and served as a Combat Defense Canine Handler with his dog Astor in Morocco, North Africa. Bill sang baritone for a band that entertained at various events during his service career, which included performing for the King of Morocco. He was later stationed at Bunker Hill Air Force Base in Indiana where he was honorably discharged in 1964. After leaving the service, Bill returned to Akron and worked in construction, then went on to work for Delco GM in Kokomo, Indiana, where he was a supervisor for 32 years. William married Beverly Johnson on October 6th, 1979 in their home by the Reverend Tommy L. Glenn. Together they enjoyed riding motorcycles with their many friends and pontooning at the Kokomo Reservoir. Bill was an accomplished archer, winning many competitions. He was a member of the choir at Grace United Methodist Church and also performed in the Follies. After his retirement in 1998, Bill continued to use his skills in woodworking, creating custom furniture and cabinetry for Bev and others. Bill loved restoring old vehicles. He had a '49 Chevy and a '53 GMC truck, for which he won many accolades at James Dean Festivals and other car shows. Bill loved his many pets throughout his life, including Smokey, Sheba, and Cookie. William leaves behind his wife of nearly 39 years, Beverly Saum; step-daughters Carrie (Don) Robinson of Morgantown, West Virginia and Cherie (Craig) Smith of Kokomo; grandchildren Jessica Smith, Dakota Smith, Jayce Ellis, Brent Robinson, Sean Robinson, Kate Robinson, Anne Robinson, Beth Robinson, Grace Robinson, and Grant Robinson; sisters Lois Hamilton, Nancy Long, and Cheryl Saum; cousins Jill Hebert and Jan Arvanetes; and several nieces and nephews. William is preceded in passing by his father, Charles; mother, Ethel; and brother Robert Saum. Friends and family may call from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Friday, September 14th at Ellers Mortuary Webster Street Chapel. A funeral service will follow at 5:00 PM, with military honors. Tony Long will officiate. Memorial contributions can be directed to the I & E Department of the Tiffin Development Center, 600 N. River Road Tiffin, OH 44883.