William David ‘Bill’ Olyha, age 93, of Gouges Creek Road in Spruce Pine, passed away Sunday, August 13, 2023 at the Memorial Campus of Mission Hospitals in Asheville.
Born on April 7, 1930 in Yonkers, NY, he was the fifth child of the late Stephen and Elsa Bauer Olyha. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his sister; Ruth Swetz; his brothers; Robert, Raymond, and John Olyha and his first wife, Natalie Olyha.
Bill was a Korean War veteran that served in the U.S. Army where he achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and was in the 101st Signal Battalion. Many years later Bill’s memoirs in Korea were written in a book, From the Hermit Kingdom to the Armistice by James Joseph Pelosi. In 1954, he earned his B. A. from New York University in Chemical Engineering and in 1963 he received his Masters Degree in Education from Hofstra University. He served as a teacher at West Hampstead High School for thirty-two years. After retirement he was a volunteer instructor at the Avery-Mitchell Correctional Facility in the C.T.E. program.
Bill enjoyed hiking and was a member of a local hiking club. He also enjoyed traveling and had taken trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, Panama, and the Caribbean. He loved the quiet serenity and beauty of his home and the surroundings of the mountains of Western North Carolina and Spruce Pine. He also enjoyed gardening, reading and puzzles. In 2019, he was privileged to take an Honor Flight which he enjoyed to the fullest. His fine sense of humor and keen wit, as well as his creative thinking were part of his personality and he enriched many students lives as well as keeping his friends and family chuckling and groaning at his puns.
Left to cherish his memory is his wife of twenty-five years; Hannelore Olyha of the home; his son; William Olyha, Jr. and wife, Nancy; his daughters; Elizabeth Edelstein and husband, Michael of New York and Audrey Affissio of Florida and several nieces, and nephews.
A time to support the family, share memories and receive friends will be on Friday, August 18, 2023 from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm at Webb Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 19, 2023 at the Messiah of the Mountains Lutheran Church with Pastor Naomi Sease Carriker officiating. Interment will be in the Spruce Pine Memorial Cemetery.
Words of comfort may be e-mailed to the family by going to our website; www.webbfh.com, selecting William David Olyha’s name and then you may sign his guestbook.
Webb Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements for Mr. Olyha and is honored to be serving the Olyha family.
Mr. Olyha’s obituary has also been posted on Facebook for viewing.
