William J. Sapienza was born Sept. 23, 1921 and died June 7, 2014. “Bill” was a decorated World War II veteran who served in the Pacific Theatre and was awarded five bronze stars. Bill enjoyed golfing, boating and working out at Gett Fitt in Iola. Bill was a bartender at large venues in Key West, Fla. and Atlanta, Ga., for many years before moving to the Iola area with his partner, Gwen. Always quick to smile, with a kind heart and loving nature, he will be greatly missed by those he left behind.
Bill is survived by his partner, Gwen Sapienza; daughter; Dawn Sapienza, son-in-law Dewayne Manley; grandson, Jason, and his wife Erin Hadden; great-grandchildren Jason II, Jocelyn and Logan, all of Rock Island, Ill.; mother-in-law Patricia Larson, Samantha Lyons, Zoey and Kaden Lyons, all of Iola; Brian and Rachel Blagburn, Nashville, Tenn.; great-nieces and nephews and sister-in-law Gayla Neufeld, Oklahoma. Bill was preceded in death by his mother and father, a World War I veteran; father-in-law Buford Larson and nephew Jeremy Larson.
A memorial service will be at 4 p.m., Saturday at the VFW on U.S. 54 in LaHarpe. The family welcomes and will appreciate any fellow veterans or SEK residents who would like to attend his memorial to honor his service to our country and his life here as an Iola resident.
