W. William Scothorn

Walter William “Bill” Scothorn was born on December 24, 1940 in Findlay, Ohio to Walter & Betty (nee Stewart) Scothorn. He was raised as an only child there. He developed an interest in photography early on & even had a dark room in the house. He was an Eagle Scout & went to Philmont, New Mexico leading to a lifetime love of hiking, camping & the outdoors. He worked as a pharmacy tech & “Soda Jerk” at a local drugstore. He graduated from Findlay High School in 1959. He received his Bachelors in Pharmacology from Ohio Northern University in 1963 with additional classes at Ohio State University.

Bill met his first wife Linda (nee Beppler) while working for Eastman-Kodak while in college. They were married in July 1963 in Findlay. They resided there where Bill was the head pharmacist at Blanchard Valley Hospital. In 1969 Bill & his young family moved to Kalamazoo, MI where he took a position with the Upjohn Company. He & Linda welcomed 4 daughters and one son during their marriage. Kathi Campbell, Bonnie (Craig) Sutherby, Betsi Scothorn (Joe Marzka), Andrew (Niki) Scothorn & Nancy Scothorn. His grandchildren include: Andre Campbell; Kyle, Shawn & Samuel Sutherby; Hannah & Christian Strong; James Scothorn; Emily (Bryan) Robinson, Amanda (Josh) Sponable, Rowan Jackson; Rose Berglund & great-granddaughter Adeline Sponable. He was preceded in death by his first grandson Daunte Campbell in 2011.

Bill was a dedicated, steadfast & hard working man. He devoted the majority of his career to Upjohn where he worked for over 30 years in manufacturing compliance before taking an independent consulting position as his last job. With Upjohn & Pharmacia he had the opportunity to travel extensively around the world. Japan, England, Australia & Belgium were among some of his favorites. He was recognized with the Upjohn Award in 1992.

His most prized gift from Upjohn was his lifelong friendship spanning 3 decades with Harold Rudloff. They shared weekly breakfasts & a deeply fulfilling connection which Bill cherished.

Bill had many hobbies and a variety of interests. He was a dedicated & avid gardener. He converted the yard into a magnificent victory garden growing zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, raspberries & even corn at one time; he was a fabulous cook. He loved to experiment & try new things in the kitchen. He spent many happy hours in the kitchen & he enjoyed sharing with all. A personal favorite for his kids was his pizza. He made all of it from scratch. He had even purchased a pizza oven recently to continue to perfect his craft. He made a very detailed, precise cook book shared among family; Bill had a wide range of musical interests. He played the French horn in high school. He loved Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel and Elvis. He was also interested in classical music, operas and musicals; history was one of Bill’s favorite subjects. He had always wanted to be a history teacher & getting a PhD in history had been on his bucket list. Of special interest was the Civil War, WWI & WWII history. A highlight for him was when he was able to take a flight in a historic B-17 bomber; He researched his ancestry & visited Oxton, England where the Scothorn ancestors came from. He was very proud of his Scottish ancestry, enjoying Highland Games & the sound of the bagpipes. He also enjoyed his German background and spent time researching & creating memorable, traditional meals; he was a gifted photographer & spent a lot of time learning & taking amazing photographs of his family, wildlife, flowers among others subjects; Bill loved camping. Many family vacations were taken on the shores of Lake Michigan in South Haven, not to mention many trips to the Upper Peninsula. Lake Superior was a grand mystery he loved to visit. He took memorable hiking trips to Isle Royale & had dreamt about hiking the Appalachian trail someday; Bill volunteered with the Sheriff’s reserve, the Shriner’s clowns & as a docent for Miller Auditorium. He received a lot of enjoyment from helping others.

Bill was well known for his sense of humor. Even as a young man, it was obvious that he got it from his father Walter who was also a tremendous jokester. Bill loved teasing his mother & his family. A funny story is that his father would hide money equivalent to Bill’s age in his birthday present so he would have to figure out where to find it & dismantle the gift to get to it. He had a whole list of nicknames for each member of the family & gave each of his children the gift of laughter. He had a way of putting people at ease with his wit.

Bill had married his second wife Pamela (nee Dykema) in May of 1999 in Kalamazoo. He gained 2 more daughters in Jennifer Dykema (Dave Mann) & Rachel (Dan) Kelleher and their children. Bill & Pam shared a love of the arts and of travel. They lived in a variety of places including New Jersey, Florida & Wisconsin. She referred to him as a “true renaissance man”. Sadly, Pamela passed away in Wisconsin in 2023 & Bill moved back to the Kalamazoo area in January of 2024 to be closer to family.

Bill’s passing has left a huge hole in the life of his family. He was a devoted & proud father & enjoyed his grandchildren & great-granddaughter immensely. We are beyond grateful that we had a chance to spend these last 8 months with him in Kalamazoo. He has left a lasting legacy of love, humor, strength & kindness with each of us.

Celebrate Bill’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com.

Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.