FILA, William M.

William M. “Bill” Fila, 84, of Grand Island, died Thursday evening, August 11, 2005 at this home. Funeral services will be held Monday, August 15, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church with Rev. Francis T. Curran officiating. Interment will be in the Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Scripture Rosary service will be Sunday evening at 7:00 P.M. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Memorials are suggested to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church or Central Catholic Foundation. Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Fila was born February 24, 1921 in Bee, Nebraska the son of Frank and Mary (Hamata) Fila. He attended Bee High School and worked on the family farm until the age of 16. He then left Bee and moved to Omaha where he worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital as a store and yard keeper. At age 17 he became a bell hop at the Delmare Hotel and Castel Hotel where he worked his way up to bell captain. In 1941 he entered the U.S. Army at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and was shipped to Camp Callan for basic training and Camp Hahn for assignment. He was assigned to an Anti-aircraft unit. He later moved to Camp Irwin and was then deployed over seas. He served in Australia, New Guinea, Camp Cod, New Britain, French Haven and the Philippines. In July of 1945 he came back to the U.S. on temporary assignment and on August 18, 1945 he was united in marriage to Dorothy L. Kowalewski in Omaha. He was discharged on October 19, 1945 as a Master Sergeant from the Army. He went to work at Benak’s Meat Packing Company as a salesman. He also worked as a bookkeeper for Dolly Madison Cakes and Electric Fixture Supply Co. In May of 1950 moved to Grand Island and purchased Carlson Awning. In 1953, he and his wife and his brother Leonard and his wife Aggie founded the Glass Bar. For 28½ years they worked in the liquor business before retiring owning Sportsman Bar, Dad’s Liquor, Seven Seas and Fila’s Laundry Mat. Besides being a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Fraternal Order of Eagles, a Fonner Park Stockholder and the American Legion Post 53 in Grand Island. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, two sons; Bill L. Fila of Grand Island and Rick and his wife Sheila Fila of Grand Island and three daughters; Paula and her husband Bob Parmley of Omaha, Pam and her husband Steve Lofholm of Roseville, California and Penny and her husband Bob Schwieger of Grand Island. He is also survived by a brother Leonard Fila and his wife Aggie, sisters Bess and her husband Frank Shmater of Omaha, Mary Swanda of Omaha and Sylvia Ash of Omaha. Also left to cherish his memory are thirteen grandchildren; Chris Fila, Tami Maguire, Bob Parmley, Christina Jokerst, Jill McGreer, Gina Nelson, Michelle Wiseman, Ashley Schwieger, Lindsey Schwieger, Jacy Schwieger, David Lofholm, Chris Lofholm and Jac Lofholm and nine great-grandchildren. His parents and a brother Frank preceded him in death.