William Leland Fawcett was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma, on May 25, 1934.  He departed to see the Jesus he loved and served on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Aultman Hospital. His last day was spent with his children and grandchildren gathered around his bed or calling in.  As they sang hymn after hymn, with eyes closed, he mouthed the words to every verse while gripping their hands.  Bill was a pastor and missionary, serving in Brazil for 53 years and only recently moving to North Canton, Ohio to live with his daughter and family. He made a new community at First Friends Church where his son is the pastor.  Up to the day he entered the hospital he filled his days with a schedule that included: Bible reading and prayer, the review of his Scripture memory verses, the review of new vocabulary cards, a Sudoku puzzle, the reading of the Wall Street Journal, The Canton Repository, and chapters from four genres of books he always had going (a Christian biography, a devotional, a classic book of fiction, and some sports trivia book), a phone call and prayer time with a friend or someone he was discipling, the watching of an episode from a detective show or a movie, and the reading of all of his mail.  Each of these activities would be punctuated with a set of exercises and a handful of kettlecorn, some sips of root beer or mocha, or some other sweet treat.  In his last three years, he had multiple visits from friends from Brazil, that he welcomed as a break in his daily busy schedule.

William, aka. Bill, is preceded in death by his father, Leonard Leland, his mother, Lucy Mary Sutherland, his wife of 65 years, Mary Leonora Fix, his son, John William, and his granddaughter, Emmeline Julia Schumacher..  He is survived by his daughter-in-law, Margaret (Clark) Fawcett, and his children:  Katherine (and Stewart III) Ruch, Walter Felippe Fawcett, Nathanael (and Julie) Fawcett, and Julia (and Jeff) Schumacher, and his sixteen grandchildren: Charlotte Fawcett, Josiah Fawcett, Madeleine (and Max) Pointner, Ellison (and Betsy) Ruch, Gillian Ruch, Christian Ruch, Nathanael Ruch, Becket Ruch, Ethan (and fiancée Enya) Fawcett, Micah Fawcett, Simeon Schumacher, Sadie Schumacher, Lillian Schumacher, Isaac Schumacher, Samuel Schumacher, Mary Alice Schumacher, and great grandchildren: Elinor Pointner, Abram Pointner, and Stewart Ruch IV, and his sister, Marilyn Sweetland.

All services will be held at First Friends Church, 5455 Market Ave. N., Canton.  Calling hours: Thursday 5:30--7:30, Funeral: Friday 11:00 am, followed by the burial and luncheon.  Flowers may be sent directly to the church.  As an alternative to flowers, donations may be made to: H.E.A.L., an organization serving the marginalized in Iraq, of which William Ellison Ruch, grandson of Bill, is a founding member.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to HEAL. and in the notes section write, "In remembrance of Bill Fawcett."  All donations are tax-deductible.

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