William (Bill) Bernosky, age 76, formerly of Florida passed away on October 13th, 2016 at his home in Eureka Springs, AR. He was a patient in Circle of Life Hospice and was lovingly tended by his family until his death. The sadness over losing him is tempered with the joy that he is with his Savior, Jesus Christ.
Bill was born in Elizabeth, PA on Feb. 15th, 1940, to Bill and Dorothy Bernosky. He was to be the oldest of 5 sons and shouldered the responsibility of caring for his brothers with great love and diligence. In 1956, his family relocated to Sanford, FL. He graduated from Seminole High School in 1958. Though he worked to help support his family, and was not able to participate in extracurricular activities, he still found a way to make friends and speak out in class. The Yank had arrived! Even as a young man, “He never knew a stranger.” Bill was also a quick thinking and decisive young man. After noticing a young swimmer in trouble, he scooped up 4 and 1/2 year old Nancy Nichols and began CPR and artificial respiration and was credited with saving the child’s life. When commended he commented, “I am thankful I was there to help, maybe it was God and I working together.” He briefly attended the University of FL but remained a lifelong Gator fan. Bill obtained his AA degree at Seminole Community College. Eventually, he went on to become a popular instructor there in police science. During his police career, Bill sought out classes and seminars to hone his skills.
In December of 1959, Bill was united in marriage to Ellen Vihlen. They settled in Sanford and after two short moves resided at 1001 Vihlen Road for over 40 years. They raised 4 children in the midst of one building project after another. By the time he was finished, the tiny home on Vihlen road was doubled in size. Bill wanted his home to be a safe place for kids to congregate. Ellen recalled, “Many is the night Billy’s friends were sprawled all over like Legos...we never who would be spending the night but we were there for them and we fed them.”
Bill worked at the Hunt plant in Sanford and after that in advertising at the Orlando Sentinel. During this time, he joined the Sanford Police Department as an auxiliary officer. After 5 years of working for free, he was hired as an officer and spent the next 25 years serving the community in several different positions. He was a street cop, a detective, and represented the department in schools and in community projects. For a time, he was on call 24/7 as the department’s lone CSI officer. Bill received many awards and commendations during his tenure. He was promoted to Sergeant and then Lieutenant. He retired in 1995 at the rank of Watch Commander. He was fierce in his love and protection of the officers in his care. Though an expert marksman, he was proud of the fact that he never had to fire his gun in the line of duty. At one point, 3 of Bill’s brothers (Tom, Bob and Dan) served with him at the Sanford PD. He was proud that his brother Dan continued to serve in Florida as a Highway Patrolman and that two nephews (Michael and Jimmy Bernosky) are also serving in law enforcement. Additionally, law enforcement is well represented by the next generation. (Ben Grace, Lance Clark, and Tom Reinhardt)
Bill is survived by his spouse, Ellen Vihlen. His son, William Eric (Melanie) of Osteen, FL, daughters, Christina (Jim) McDonald of Eureka Springs, AR, Laura (Tom) Brown of Colorado Springs, CO, Sheri (Geoff) Barnett of Garfield, AR. He leaves behind 16 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren with 3 more expected soon. He has 3 brothers, Robert (Jean), Dan (Johnette) and David. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Tom.
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