William "Bill" E. Stubbs' Obituary
William “Bill” E. Stubbs, age 90, of Waynesville, Ohio, passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Ohio Living Quaker Heights.
Bill was born in Waynesville, attended Waynesville Schools, graduating in 1953. He grew up on Main Street where his father “Cap” Stubbs operated the local funeral home. During his childhood, as many Waynesville children did during the 1940s and 50s, he spent countless hours at the Old Mill Stream Park pool. In 1956, he married his school sweetheart Marilyn Gons (class of ’54). They lived on Chapman Street, then North Street, and in 1962 bought their home on Fourth Street, which is still their home.
Bill was active in high school serving as class president for three years and playing on the baseball and track teams. He also played basketball, being selected to the “First Five” team in Warren County in 1953. In 1957 he earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Wilmington College and a Master’s Degree from Miami University (1960), both in Education. He devoted his professional career to education, teaching history at Springboro High School for eight years, then at the Kettering City School District, as guidance counselor, Assistant Principal, and Director of Personnel. He retired from the Kettering School System in 1989. He was elected to the Kettering Schools Hall of Fame in 2008.
Bill was a longtime member of the Waynesville United Methodist Church and was actively involved in the community he loved. Bill’s volunteer work with Waynesville business and civic organizations included the Chamber of Commerce, Historical Society, Lions Club, Antique Dealers Association, Senior Citizens Housing Project, Sauerkraut Festival Committee, Maintain Old Main Street, Quaker Heights Care Community, Village Charter Commission, Museum at the Friends Home, and Miami Cemetery. He was chosen as Waynesville Citizen of the Year in 1993. Bill was deeply involved Waynesville’s Sauerkraut Festival, where he served as Festival Chairman for four years in the early 1970’s. The Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, which has deep family roots, became a beloved tradition in which family and friends gathered at the family’s antique shop to socialize, take a break from the massive crowds, and eat the festival’s wonderful food.
Outside of his professional and civic life, Bill had a wide range of interests. He had a lifelong passion for antiques and with his family started the Little Red Shed Antiques in Waynesville, a business on Main Street, which they operated for 46 years. Bill was an avid genealogist, spending countless hours researching his family histories, often resulting in trips with Marilyn, throughout the eastern United States, visiting courthouses and libraries to expand his genealogy research. A true historian at heart, Bill possessed an exceptional knowledge of Waynesville and Ohio history and loved sharing stories and facts about his hometown with community members.
Family was at the center of Bill’s life. He was asked by one of his grandchildren to write down an answer to: “What things are you proudest of in your life?” A little while later he provided this answer: Eighteen photos of his wife, children and their spouses, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He and his family shared many meaningful traditions together, especially Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July. Family beach vacations were annual, but the most liked family trips included multiple visits to Kona Village on the Big Island of Hawaii. The resort, somewhat like an adult summer camp in paradise, had excellent food, great swimming and snorkeling beaches, but no modern electronic conveniences such as air conditioning, computers, TVs, or phones. The trips became one of Bill and Marilyn’s favorite memories with their family.
Bill will be remembered as intelligent, curious, and a lifelong teacher. He had a subtle, dry sense of humor and a thoughtful way of observing the world. Among many things, Bill will also be remembered for his deep love of Waynesville, his involvement in local business and civic organizations, his lifelong dedication to education, and his passion for preserving local history.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Albert “Cap” and Opal Gearhart Stubbs; his sister, Yvonne (Carl) Bradstreet; and his sister-in-law, Julie (Gary) VanNuys. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Marilyn; his sons, Dave (Joy) Stubbs and Jack (Beth) Stubbs; four grandchildren, Ashley (Chad) Bridgman, Bryan (Nicole) Stubbs, Jon (Valerie) Stubbs, and Kristin Stubbs; nine great-grandchildren, Ava, Megan, James, Aubrey, Chloe, Evelyn, William, Wesley, and Winston; nephews, Mark (Dawn) and Mike (Brenda) Bradstreet; and niece, Kathy VanNuys Dane. Close family friends also include Randy and Andrea Hill and Georgette Bowden Bradstreet.
The family also wants to thank and acknowledge the following people for their kind care and assistance helping Bill: Natalie Van Atta, Mary (Van Atta) Lisle, Stephanie Rappach, Tonia Baker, and Natalie Fischer. Also, special thanks go to Greg and Carla Smallwood for the many generous gifts of homemade ice cream and cookies that helped sustain Bill in the past year.
A celebration of life gathering and visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. A life celebration service will be held immediately after the gathering at 7:00 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home, with Brian Blankenship officiating. Condolences may be expressed to the family at https://www.stubbsconner.com.
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