John William “Bill” Bunardzya, 73, of Belle Vernon, passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2024. A son of the late John R. and Ann Elizabeth “Betty” Vance Bunardzya, he was born in North Charleroi on Sept. 21, 1950. A 1968 graduate of Belle Vernon Area High School, he attended California State Teachers College, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Education, majoring in industrial arts, in 1973. Bill continued his education and received an Associate Degree in Fire Science Technology from Westmoreland County Community College. During the mid-1970s, he held the position of fire protection engineer at the Allenport plant of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Company. Also, during the 1970s, he was employed as a substitute teacher for several area school districts. He was a member of the Carpenters District Council for nine years. Bill was a former employee of Corning Glass in Charleroi, was a salesperson for Washington Ford for five years, and in 1991, he began work as a self-employed contractor and continued that work until his passing. He was a volunteer firefighter with Belle Vernon Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 from 1971 through 1975, when he joined the North Belle Vernon Volunteer Fire Department. He held several offices at North Belle Vernon, including 12 years as the fire chief. In 2001, he attained his life membership status. In 2004, Bill joined the Rostraver Central Fire Department (Station 105), where he was an active member and served as a safety officer and a trustee. He attained life membership status in January 2024. He was elected to Belle Vernon Borough Council from 1976 to 1979 and served as council president for 2 ½ years. He was a member of the Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania, Fayette County, Southwestern Chiefs and Westmoreland County Firemen’s Associations, where for 14 years, he was the secretary, was elected president in 1995 and then treasurer in 2000, a position he still holds. He was also elected president of the Westmoreland County Fire Chiefs Association and was a member and Past Big Chief of the Westmoreland County Mohawks Association, where he served as the scrib (secretary – treasurer) for 10 years. Survivors include his wife, Janet Yasko Bunardzya; two daughters and sons-in-law, Kyra and John Barbiaux of Seven Fields, and Chryste and Nicholas Zimmerman of Rostraver; a brother and sister in-law, Vance and Kathy Bunardzya of Rostraver; and four grandchildren, Benjamin and Elizabeth Barbiaux and Westin and Lia Zimmerman. Friends will be received from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at FERGUSON FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORY INC., 700 Broad Ave., Belle Vernon, 724-929-5300, www.FergusonFuneralHomeandCrematory.com. Funeral services will be in the funeral home at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 11, 2024, with Father Stephan Gresh, pastor of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church officiating. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery. Members of the Rostraver Central Fire Department will meet in the funeral home at 7 p.m. Wednesday to hold services. If friends wish, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Westmoreland County Mohawks Association or the Westmoreland County Community College Public Safety Training Center.
