Obituary of William Joseph Doud

DOUD  William Joseph “Bill” Doud, beloved husband of 61 years to the late Joyce I. (nee Stoeckel) Doud, cherished father of Debbie (Rick) Berning and Diane (Gary) O’Connell, devoted grandfather of Rick (Jess) Berning, Lauren Berning (David Tull), Sarah (James) Morelock, Erin (Kyle) Seger, Katy (James) Gallagher, Kerry O’Connell (Aaron Mendez) and Kyle (Michelle) O’Connell, and loving great-grandfather of Nora and Lana Seger, Harvey and Margot Berning, JP and Liam Gallagher and Adeline Morelock. Bill was born in Cincinnati in 1930 to his parents, George A. and Elizabeth J. (nee Gibbons) Doud and was the eldest of five children: Rosemary (Haden) Williams, Anne (George) Miltz, John (Beverly) Doud, and Sheila (Kenneth) Seifert. Of these, Bill is survived by his sister Rosemary, sister-in-law Beverly and brother-in-law Ken. Bill is also survived by his sisters-in-law Judy Weisgerber, Kay Stoeckel, and Betty Stoeckel, many loving nieces and nephews, and numerous friends, caring neighbors and many special fellow veterans. Having a strong zest for life and the “gift of gab,” Bill loved to share his life stories with friends, family, and often new acquaintances. Throughout his life, a common theme arose – his love of God, Family and Country. Bill grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of Evanston and was a member of St. Mark’s parish. He graduated from Purcell High School in 1948 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1949. He was first stationed in Nara, Japan, before heading to Korea in July 1950, just after the Korean War broke out. His unit was one of the first deployed to South Korea following the North’s invasion. Bill loved to tell stories about his time in Korea, which is documented in the “Letters from Korea” podcast. In 1955, Bill married Joyce, the love of his life, and they went on to raise their two daughters in Sycamore Township. Bill worked as a manager for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and after he retired, started a second career in the lab at Bethesda Oak. He was an active member of St. Saviour Parish for more than 60 years. Bill was generous with his time to many organizations, including Bishop Fenwick Council Knights of Columbus (Past Grand Knight and Advocate) and Greater Cincinnati Chapter 121 Korean War Veterans Association (Chaplain). Above all, Bill enjoyed spending time with Joyce and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. At Christmastime, he loved putting on a Santa hat and treating the children to special “bonus” gifts he proudly chose himself. In his final years, Bill continued to live life to the fullest. He took part in Honor Flight, traveled to Ireland, was a Hometown Hero at a Cincinnati Reds game, attended numerous Xavier basketball games, went boating on Lake Cumberland, and even learned how to use Facebook. Most of all, he enjoyed the simple pleasures of visits from friends and family, feeding the birds in the yard, and a good game on TV with a cold brew in hand. Bill passed away on Sunday, December 17th, at the age of 93. Visitation will be on Friday, December 22nd at 10AM followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11AM at St. Saviour Church, 4118 Myrtle Ave. (45236). Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.