William Bandura

William “Bill” Bandura, went to be with his wife Marianne “Bit” Bandura on February 25th. He was a loving husband, father, and Paw-Paw. To say that he accomplished a lot in life, would be an understatement. He had many hobbies and interests that kept him busy throughout the years. Sports were a big part of his life. He loved baseball and softball. He started off his dedication to baseball as President of T-ball for the GTMO Little League. He enjoyed his time as a coach. He was a board member of Churchland Little League. When his boys were older, he was president of the Churchland Baseball Association. Once his granddaughters were old enough to play, he never missed an opportunity to be the biggest fan at one of their games. He loved going to track meets to cheer on his grandson whenever he wasn’t at the ball field. He was an avid golfer that had no problem besting his friend Ron on the course every time they played. At least that is the way Bill told the story. Bill also had a passion for the arts and especially music. He was a die hard “Parrot Head” and loved everything about that lifestyle. His toes being in the sand was one his top priorities in his younger years. It also led to him becoming a licensed SCUBA diver and a member of the “Reef Raiders Dive Club” while in GTMO. In regards to the Arts, Bill was the lighting director of the “Little Theater” in GTMO. One of his proudest moments was being in charge of the set and lighting for a Charlie Daniels benefit concert that was held at the Theatre when Bill was there. He loved literature and history. He was a member of the “Friends of Portsmouth Public Library” and dedicated countless hours to the Churchland Library arranging books and sharing his love of reading to anyone that would listen. He was the family “Historian”. He spent an enormous amount of time researching family history and genealogy to understand where the Bandura family came from and how they contributed to the history of the world. He was a photography nut. He loved taking pictures of nature, family, and historical sites. He was a photography instructor for the City College of Chicago while in GTMO and shared his adoration of being behind the camera with every student he had. Last but not least, he was a dedicated employee of the Federal government. He was a lifting and handling specialist that dedicated 31 years of his life to NNSY. He was a member of the Federal Managers association and Recording Secretary for the IVOE Local 710 during his career. He made many lasting friendships during his career. Once he retired, he really looked forward to his monthly luncheons with his “retired extended family” as he called everyone that attended. Bill will be missed by all of the people who's lives he has touched in his many adventures throughout the years. His memory will live on through his brothers (Otto, Jimmy, and Charlie), sons Sean (Shannon) and Matthew (Caitlin), grandchildren (Colin, Haylee, Hannah, Rayna, and Emma), and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is gone but not forgotten, because how could you forget a person like Bill, who was larger than life. A celebration of life will be held at Loving Funeral Home 3225 Academy Ave, Portsmouth, VA 23703 on Wednesday 3/9/22 at 1 o’clock..

William Bandura

February 25, 2022