Family and friends of William G. Urlevich Sr. are sharing this remembrance with his community:
William G. Urlevich Sr. passed away unexpectedly on September 5th, 2020 in Seattle at the age of 77.
William, otherwise known as “Big Bill,” is survived by his wife Lauree Urlevich (nee Riefflin) and his son William G. Urlevich, Jr. He is predeceased by his brother, Mike Urlevich.
Bill was born December 21st, 1942 in West Seattle to Gasper and Julia Urlevich. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1962 and also attended Olympic Junior College. He and Lauree were married in 1966 at Holy Family Church. He was employed as a Longshoreman with the ILWU for over 40 years until his retirement as a checker in 2008.
He was a longtime coach of West Seattle baseball teams from T-Ball, Pee-wee, and Pony for 18 years and won many championships. Bill enjoyed spending time with friends, playing Yahtzee with his brother-in-law Tom, and occasionally traveling. No family gathering was complete without Big Bill getting kids and neighbors together for a game of street football, basketball, or baseball. He was a keen competitor who played championship cribbage and was patient with teaching kids all sorts of card games.
He was an avid sports fan and had a deep appreciation for everything football, especially the Huskies and Seahawks. He and his son won the Seattle Times Guest Guesser in 1984 and were awarded the grand-prize trip to the Super Bowl.
Bill was also known for some serious dance moves, winning dance contests in high school and wowing friends and family at every occasion. On trips to Reno, he got up on stage and danced with Chubby Checker, The Coasters, The Temptations, and the Four Tops. In a revival of Grease, Big Bill and Lauree were pulled on stage to dance with the cast doing “Willy and the Hand Jive.” He will be remembered for his generous spirit, a larger-than-life personality, and the World’s Best Clam Dip! Those closest to him lovingly referred to him as “Johnny.”
A Celebration of Bill’s Life will be held at a later date.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
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