William Bakewicz

I am so very sorry to hear about Bill. You are all in my prayers. Sending lots of love your way
Love Always,
Heather and the kids

A friend with a giant sense of humor.

Jeff Barbieri, Class of ’74

Marianne and Family, Bill was a GREAT teammate and GREATER friend. Sorry for your loss. John Serkes SJU 78′

Bill was naturally kind, honest and funny. All of those traits made him an excellent salesperson and an even better human being. I was privileged to work with Bill and know him for so many years as was every single one of his clients (by whom he was universally loved.) Bill, I know we could each be a pain in each others asses but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’ll miss you man. You will always be a part of the Area Development team. Maryanne, Justin and Jon my thoughts are with you.

Coaching with Bill and sharing those family times at the CYO ball Park we’re priceless! Eileen and I were devastated by the news of Bills passing. Marianne, Jonathan, Justin you are in our prayers. Bill truly made the world a better place! We will miss his smiling face and thank God for the Great memories!

I have been struggling with the right words since I heard the horrible news of Bake’s death on Friday. What do you say to mark the passing of a legend? These words will be inadequate, fall short in the attempt to honor my friend. After more than 50 years, we had become more than friends. We were brothers. Like brothers, we loved one another, and we loved teasing each other unmercifully.

I met Bake in the fall of 1970, my junior year in high school. As this big, loud freshman joined our team, just assuming his place as one of the guys, I knew we were going to be friends. How could we not? To meet Bake was to like him. To know him was to love him. We became instant friends and that friendship continued until Friday afternoon. We didn’t see each other often; we lived 2,000 miles apart for most of our lives. But we talked all the time. He never missed calling me on my birthday, even though he was often hard to track down on his own. For the last few years, he never missed a chance to ding me on Facebook, nor me him. That good natured ribbing was indicative of our relationship for five decades.

But my relationship with Bake was not unique. He was special to so many people. He was bigger than life and could always make you feel special. To see Bake’s interactions with his teammates from the Championship team of 1974 is to understand that he was the spirit of that team. I have never seen a tighter group of guys. For 50 years they have stayed connected and celebrated each anniversary, and Bake was the glue that held them together.

I will miss the near daily jabs on Facebook. I will miss the phone calls on our birthdays. I will miss the phone calls that have become even more frequent since my surgery. Bake was one of a kind. The mold was indeed broken. He was never Bill. He will be forever BAKE. Rest in peace, Brother.

I worked with Bill for nearly 30 years at Area Development. He was a hard worker, a true gentleman and a kind soul with a great sense of humor. My last memory of him was a Zoom call last week with his smiling face and a beach scene behind him. He will be truly missed.

Geraldine Gambale

There are too many memories with Bill, Marianne, Jonathan and Justin. Bill, you will be greatly missed and I am struggling to find the words to say. Christmas, the beach, I will miss you driving by our house and honking. I will miss you laughing and making the best (inappropriate) jokes lol and having a beer at your house or ours. Miss you Billy Boy ! Send us a sign ! Love you !

To the Bakewicz Family:

Bill will be greatly missed – he was always kind and made us all laugh – the class of ’74 will always remember him.

warmest condolences,

Carl Buonafede

I guess the lord almighty needed one of the best salesmen of all times up in heaven! What a loss and what a incredible person. We miss you Bill! Much love, thoughts, and prayers with your family. Aric – ASU

I work at LAVIDGE, a Phoenix advertising agency, and Bill was one of my favorite vendor reps. I placed buys for Arizona Commerce Authority for the past few years with Area Development. Loved his analogies when closing in on deadlines….”it’s the bottom of the ninth and the bases are loaded”. He was always so friendly and upbeat and had a great sense of humor. I always hung up with a smile on my face. My love and prayers go out to his entire family. Cammy Corken

I only knew Bill briefly through business; but in the short interaction his sense of humor and good-hearted nature was evident. My condolences to his family.