William Albert Wittosch, Jr. departed on Oct 1, 2026. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and dog father, and resident of Warwick, N.Y., for 50 years. He was the son of William and Mabel (née Davidson) Wittosch. William is survived by Regina, his beloved wife of 59.5 years; daughters: Justine, Martha, and Katherine; sons-in-law John and Mike; grandchildren: Jacob, Jean, Julianna, Violet, and Sean; sisters Ginger and Judy; brother-in-law Clarke; and many nieces and nephews.
William, aka Bill, Dad, Popop was one of the most laid back, go-with-the-flow humans you might know. He deeply loved his family and especially loved hearing what his daughters and especially grandkids were up to, and bragging about his wife’s gardens. He was very proud of the generations of service in his family.
Bill did far more with his time on this planet than his unassuming demeanor would suggest. He grew up in Rutherford, N.J. He was on the local rescue squad for trapped spelunkers. He was an avid fly-fisherman. He was a chemical researcher at Isotopes, out of Westwood, N.J. He met his wife in this job. From here he took a position that supported family life, closer to home - he settled into a research position at International Paper in Sterling Forest. But he didn’t really settle in, as he was a tinker-er by nature. He holds seven US Patents under his name and would often lead the troubleshooting trips to paper plants; he loved figuring things out. He also loved to bring pecans home from Mobile Alabama, for Regina’s baking.
He loved nature and watching birds. He could name a bird, insect, or rock with just a quick sighting, or a quick glance in his handy guide. He could teach you how to use divining rod and explain the science behind energy. He could sit sipping coffee for hours talking about politics or the state of the economy, always well read and researched. He was a huge history buff. He was on the Shade Tree Commission in Warwick, N.Y.; softball coach to his daughters; tennis partner to his wife; he delivered meals for Meals on Wheels. He loved cooking for the family and baking for friends. He traveled to Japan and the Great Wall of China, Europe, the Aleutian Islands and mainland Alaska, Hawaii, and all over the U.S.; much with his beloved wife, Regina.
Bill Wittosch loved. He loved life. He loved his family. He loved sitting in his chair with Adeline the dog. He was not a perfect human, but he was perfectly Bill/Dad/Popop. And if you knew Bill, or even just shared a sidewalk or checkout line with him, you were blessed, and he appreciated you. He had a knack for really seeing people and meeting them where they were at. He saw you. This was his gift.
Bill will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to know him, most especially his family.
Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, Warwick, N.Y. A Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at St. Stephen Catholic Church, 75 Sanfordville Road, Warwick, followed by inurnment in Warwick Cemetery, 50 Oakland Avenue, Warwick.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Bill’s memory to Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 98, Warwick NY 10990.
Funeral arrangements were made by Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. To send an online condolence, visit www.lsvpmemorialhome.com