William Peter "Bill" Zych's Obituary
Bill died peacefully on September 29th, 2025. He was born on D-Day, June 6, 1944, to Marguerita L. (Richards) Santos and Walter P. Zych,in Portland, Maine. Walter worked in the Navy shipyard in Bath, Maine during the war. Bill grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts and received his BFA degree in Industrial Design from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston. In June of 1966, Bill married Margaret Dougherty, who later became the mother of his two children. Once he was drafted into the Army, he spent the Vietnam war years in Hawaii, where he served as a Cartographer, drawing maps for the military, which required a top secret clearance. After discharge, Bill worked in New York for an interior architectural design firm, which resulted in an assignment bringing the family to Columbus to design the interior of the Rhodes Office Tower. Bill spent a number of years working with G.D. Ritzy’s in Columbus and the surrounding states. He was a very talented woodcarver and spent much of his leisure time creating miniature carousel animals, wild life and Kachinas. Bill was preceded in death by his sister, Katherine E. Darmofal. He is survived by his two children, Justin R.(Alison) Zych, grandson Axel; Kassia L. Zych-Matheson (Austin), two grandchildren, Kane and Cree and his former spouse and friend, Betsey Knight and her 2 children, Carey (Pat) Miller, their children, Gabby, Haley and Cecilia; Trevor (Susie) Davy, their children, Fina and Piper.
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