William "Bill" Harold Bettinger

Bill Bettinger died suddenly on May 16, 2021 at the age of 78. Bill was born in 1942 to Harold and Mary (Miller) Bettinger in Swanton, Ohio. He graduated from Swanton High School in 1960 where he also met his future wife, Suzanne (Bratton), marrying in 1964. Bill attended The Ohio State University as a proud Buckeye, majoring in horticulture. He operated Bettinger's Greenhouse on Violet Road in Toledo for 35 years. Bill then joined the University of Toledo Plant Sciences Department as a Consultant until retirement in 2002. As a leading figure in his field, Bill consulted internationally for geranium growers in Mexico and bedding plant growers in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Taiwan. He served on the board of directors for the Ohio Florists Association, the Toledo Area Vegetable Growers Association, Bedding Plants International, the Lucas County Fair Board, and the Lucas County Soil and Water Conservation District. He authored a chapter on horticulture marketing for The Bedding Plant Manual published by the Pennsylvania Flower Growers and Penn State Extension. Bill enjoyed extensive travel internationally and across the United States, both for professional conferences and family vacations. He especially enjoyed trips to Walt Disney World and the family condo in Sevierville, Tennessee. Bill was a strong supporter of the arts and civic organizations, once spearheading beautification plantings along I-475 and supported numerous other charity events with plants and his creative talents. Bill was an exceptional people person, who easily made connections to nearly everyone he met. He is fondly remembered by his wife, Suzanne; his sons, Joe (Meg) and Matt; daughter, Kristin (Justin Daler) and grandchildren, Alison and Haley Bettinger in Happy Valley, Oregon; and Cassandra, Gunnar and Tatum Daler of Perrysburg. He is survived by his brother, Tony (Teresa) Bettinger; sisters, Linda Sagert, Vicki (Terry) Snyder, and Debbie (R. D.) Hilton. Visitation will be held at the Coyle Funeral Home, 1770 S. Reynolds Road in Toledo, on Sunday, May 23, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held Monday, May 24, at 10:00 a.m. at the Historic Church of St. Patrick, 130 Avondale Avenue, in Toledo. Face masks and social distancing will be required by the funeral home and the church. Interment will follow at Ft. Meigs Cemetery in Perrysburg. Memorials may take the form of contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Please view and sign our online "guest registry" at CoyleFuneralHome.com

William "Bill" Harold Bettinger

December 16, 1942 - May 16, 2021