William "Bill" R. Justice

William R. "Bill" Justice, 74, of Norton, Ohio, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on January 11, 2025 after a courageous battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Born on June 25, 1950, in Akron, Ohio, Bill was the son of Frank and Kathryn (nee English) Justice. He was the middle child of five siblings. Bill attended Norton Schools and proudly served his country in the United States Army. He continued his service in the National Guard, ultimately retiring with 22 years of military service. Bill served in Germany and Honduras and enjoyed his yearly training in Corpus Christi, TX.

Bill married Dianne Kozlowski in 1974 and remained happily married until Dianne’s passing in 2015. They had one daughter, Sara, whom Bill doted on. He supported Dianne’s and Sara’s horse habits, driving them to horse shows from the 1970s until October 2024. He was known as one of the best Horse Show Dads and even won the Northern Ohio Dressage Association’s award in 2015 for his unwavering support of Sara’s horse showing endeavors.

Bill had many jobs throughout his life: truck driver, Summit County Mounted Patrol deputy with his horses Bobbi and Holy Bull (both Appaloosas—his absolute favorite breed), quality assurance at B&W and National Machine, and eventually retired from Goodrich Aerospace. Every summer you’d find him in the barn, fixing fence, baling hay, feeding horses, and complaining about everything that needed to be done.

Bill was a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Barberton. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus chapter and thoroughly enjoyed cooking fish for the lenten fish frys. He loved it so much that he convinced his church in Bullhead City, AZ, to start fish frys. The best part? He was highly allergic to fish. When he wasn’t at the farm, Bill loved riding his motorcycles. He once sold his Indian Motorcycle to buy his daughter her first dressage horse, and when she finally paid him back, he bought a Harley. Bill loved riding his Harley with friends, especially through the deserts and mountains of Arizona along Route 66.

Bill also loved to sing. He was a regular at karaoke in Barberton and Bullhead City, AZ. He could sing any George Strait song and gained the nickname “Cowboy Bill” for always wearing his cowboy hat on stage while he sung. Even though the disease took away his ability to sing, he was so honored and proud to sing the National Anthem at the Summit County Fair before Versatility in 2024.

Bill is survived by his daughter Sara (Mike Ziemer), cat Pink Floyd, brothers Gene and Ed Justice, and many nieces, nephews, and friends. He joins his wife Dianne and sisters Kathy and Pat in Heaven.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the 4-H club he helped with for over 20 years, Horse Sense 4-H, or Summit County Junior Fairboard Horse Committee Scholarship Fund.

Bill's Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 1263 Shannon Ave., Norton. Fr. Robert Jackson celebrant. Private Burial at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery. Calling Hours will be held on Tuesday, January 21st from  4-7 p.m. at the Silva-Hostetler Funeral Home, 1199 Wooster Rd. West, Barberton.