Bill Lemberger Loses 12-Year Battle with Cancer

1/8/2011
William A. Lemberger

(prepared by Jim Plaunt)

ORTONVILLE, Mich. - William A. Lemberger, 55, of Ortonville, formerly of Findlay and Van Wert, Ohio, died at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, after nearly a twelve-year fight against Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Leukemia. Bill received a bone marrow transplant in April 2010 and suffered many setbacks and complications leading to his death.

Bill was born in Camden, N.J., on July 23, 1955, to Adolph {Otto} and Elizabeth {Bette} Lemberger who survive in Crystal River, Fla. Bill will be deeply missed but is greatly admired by his life partner turned caregiver Mike Meyer; two sons, Haedon Meyer of Columbus, Ohio, and Brandon {Mary} Meyer of Delphos, Ohio, and two granddaughters, Evelyn and Audrey Meyer of Delphos; two brothers, Robert "Bob" {Liz} Lemberger and David {Paula Storck} Lemberger of Marlton, N.J.; two brothers-in-law, Steve Meyer of Stockport, Ohio, and Gord {Jackie} Meyer of Vaughnsville, Ohio; mother-in-law, Betty Dohse of Findlay, Ohio; and stepmother-in-law, Barb Meyer of Lima, Ohio; two stepbrothers-in-law, Dan and Terry Dohse; three sisters-in-law, Sheri {Rick} Latimer, Beth {Randy} Swob and Kathy Dohse; several nieces and nephews, Kelly Lemberger, Andy Meyer, Kari {Derek} Stober, Christa {Brian} Meader, Heather and Ryan Swob and Derick and Devon Latimer; an aunt, Helen Lemberger; two cousins, Kathy {Craig} Taggart and Jan {Leo} Alston, and a former wife turned friend, Joyce Hageman.

Bill was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Adolph J. Lemberger and Catherine E. Lemberger; maternal grandparents, Theodore Stubbs and Anna Stubbs; father-in-law, Leon Meyer; stepfather-in-law, Karl "Mac" Dohse, and an infant nephew, Christopher Lemberger. What a reunion it must have been!!

Bill graduated from Cinnaminson H.S. in Cinnaminson, N.J., in 1973 and from Alderson Broaddus College in Phillippi, W.Va., in 1977. He was most recently employed with Continental Structural Plastics of Roy, Mich., and had retired from The Budd Co. While working for "Uncle Budd" he started in international sales and moved into the plastics division where he was a chemist at the Van Wert, Ohio, plant before moving into environmental issues at the North Baltimore and Carey, Ohio plants. He then moved into the purchasing manager position in Madison Heights, Mich., where CSP acquired "Budd" and he continued in that position with CSP.

It is with great pride that I was able, with the help of his family, to fulfill Bill's wish and donate his body to the University of Michigan for research and teaching. His goal was to retire and teach college. I guess he is doing that in another way, now.

A memorial will be held at a later date. If you would like to make a memorial donation please do so at one of the following:

Univ. of Mich. Adult BMT Program

UMHS

5303 Cancer Center

1500 E. Medical Center Dr.

Ann Arbor, MI. 48109

or this one is for helping those that are struggling to pay for lodging and medications and emergency care related to BMT. We saw many people from all over come here for treatment and we were lucky to live a little over an hour away so we didn't need their services.

BMT Langeveld Fund

UMHS/Cancer Center

Patient and Family services/medinn 5843

1500 E Medical Center Dr.

Ann Arbor, MI. 48109

or to a pet rescue of your choice as Bill dearly loved his hairy boxer kids, Buster, Dixie and Eli. Bill will be greatly missed by all his good friends and colleagues, especially Jim Plaunt who spent many hours visiting with Bill in the hospital.