1926-2026
William W. Figley, 99, of West Liberty, Ohio, slipped into the arms of Jesus early Sunday morning following a brief illness. He entered this world on June 30, 1926, in Findlay, Ohio, and entered his Heavenly home on March 1st, 2026.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas & Maude Figley, an infant brother, Arthur Figley, his wife of 58 years, Sharyn Figley, a beloved son, Greg Figley (Lori), and a beloved grandson, Kyle Downing (Carolyn).
He is survived by 5 children: Chris Yoder (Ron) of Cable, Ohio, Steve Figley (Joanna) of Gainesville, Florida, Dawn Downing (Ron) of Homestead, Florida, Lisa Trost of Forest, Virginia, and Tracy Figley (Vicki) of Xenia, Ohio, 21 grandchildren, and 49 great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Just before his graduation from Glouster High in Athens County, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served for 26 months during World War II as a signalman on an LSM in the Pacific Theatre. Following his military service in 1946, he attended The Ohio State University and finished his Bachelor of Arts degree in Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University in Ada.
He was married to Sharyn (Atha) on March 19, 1949. After moving to West Liberty, William bought the Drug Store and operated it for 27 of his 30 years in Pharmacy. In 1980, he earned a Master of Science degree in Nutrition (which might explain his long life).
William was passionate about his faith, family, music, and country. He trusted Christ as his personal Savior at age 24 while attending an evangelistic service at the West Liberty United Methodist Church. From that moment on, he loved telling others about Jesus and got involved, first as a counselor and later, a trainer of counselors for the Youth for Christ rallies and the Billy Graham films that came to the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine. He served the church in various capacities, including church pianist, deacon, and lay pastor.
William cared deeply about his family and wanted to make sure all of them knew Jesus as he did. He taught all of his children a work ethic that has served them well to this day. He showed us what faithfulness looked like by staying married to the same woman for 58 years, through the good times and the struggles. Though he was busy making a living during the younger years of his children, he always found time to take them fishing or to play ball out back.
Later, he poured into his grandchildren and great-grandchildren by spending time with them. Music was with William most of his life as he began taking piano lessons at age 5. He soon learned he didn’t like to read music, so, much to his teacher’s chagrin, he tapped into his God-given talent and began playing by ear. Later in the Navy, he used his gift to entertain the troops. After retiring from pharmacy, he began a professional career as a piano musician. He played full-time in nursing homes for 17 years and only quit when COVID forced the nursing homes to close. William recorded 4 CDs, including Gospel, Patriotic, Christmas, and Big Band. At the time of his death, he could play over 1,000 songs from memory in any key you wished. His love for the country was known by everyone he met. Having fought against tyranny in World War II, he knew how important freedom was and would tell anyone who would listen. He spoke about this in numerous public speeches and articles, many of which can be found at pricelesslifeadvice.com. He also wrote a book at age 94 entitled Socialism Exposed. He was concerned that our country was headed down the wrong path, and he wanted to do his part to keep the hard-fought freedoms we have intact.
There will be a visitation on Friday, March 6th, from 11 am–1 pm at Jennings, Farley & Seeley Funeral Home, 5591 U.S. Highway 68 South in West Liberty. The funeral service will be at 1 pm, followed by military honors and burial at Fairview Cemetery – West Liberty.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hope 100.7 – WEEC. If William Figley were here today, he would tell you how beautiful Heaven is, and he wants to see you there one day. He would say you only have a short time to decide where you will spend eternity. Choose wisely, choose Jesus!
Online Condolences may be expressed at www.jenningsfarley.com.
