William Hartzler Redhead Ching Tang 1934 Original Member

William (Bill) Hartzler Redhead was born on August 28, 1914 in Hudson, Ohio. William died on July 25, 1979 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a 25 year resident of Lakewood, Ohio at the time of his death. His parents were Jacob Hartzler Redhead and Grace Brewster Jenkins. William’s early years were spent in Hudson but by 1929 his parents had moved to Lakewood where he started high school. He relocated to Coral Gables, Florida (around 1931-1932) with his mother following the divorce of his parents and completed high school at Ponce de Leon where he was a founder of the Ching Tang Fraternity. At Ponce de Leon he was president of his class, the editor of the 1934 year book, a member of the Ponce Guards, and a member of the drama club. They lived at 1541 Plasentia Ave. in Coral Gables. Two streets north of Bird Rd., between Red Rd. and Alhambra Circle.

After high school William returned to Ohio where he worked as director of purchasing for the Lake City Malleable Co. Cleveland until it closed in 1953. He then worked in sales for a number of years. In 1964 he took a sales position with the C. P. Enston Air Tools and Equipment Co. from which he retired as vice president in 1974.

William was a 32^nd degree Mason and was a member of the Halcyon Lodge and the Scottish Rite. He was a member of the Al Koran Shrine and chairman of two Shrine committees – wardrobe for the past masters and cast wardrobe.

He was a member of the Cleveland Engineering Society. During WWII he served on the Ration Board. He was a member and past president of the Lakewood Republican Party and served many years as precinct committee man for Ward 3 in Lakewood. He was a past treasurer of the Lakewood High School Parent Teachers Association and served as representative of the PTA to the Lakewood City Council. He was a member of the Church of the Ascension (Episcopal) in Lakewood and served on the ushers committee.

William enjoyed sailing and participated in regattas especially in the 1940’s when he finished first several times in the Old Town Class at the Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland. His last sailboat was in the Lightening class. He also enjoyed gardening and spending time with his family.

He was married first to Wilma (Billie) Willson in 1941. They adopted a son William Jr. in late 1945. Both Wilma and William Jr. died in an auto accident on June 11, 1947 while Wilma and William, Jr. were in route to her mother’s home in Chicago. William (Sr.) married a second time to Evangeline Grace Kupchick on May 14, 1949 in Lakewood. William and Evangeline had two children, Donna Jean and William Hartzler, Jr. Evangeline died on August 16, 1993 in Cleveland.

Contributed by Donna Redhead Gruber, March 2008