William John Kovack, husband of Vera “Be” “Bebe,” passed away Sunday evening, March 3, at Danbury Hospital. Bill was born on April 28, 1925, in Gloversville, N.Y., the son of Ethel Shear Kovack and Stephen P. Kovack.

After graduating from Gloversville High School in 1943, Bill joined the Army Air Corps Cadet Program, training as an airborne radar operator and B-29 bombardier, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on November 11, 1944. Bill was discharged from the army as a 1st Lieutenant while stationed in Germany in 1947 and accepted a civilian job in the Army Exchange Service at Bad Kissigen, Germany. Bill returned to the United States later that year, taking advantage of the GI Bill, and enrolled at Champlain College in Plattsburg, N.Y., for a year before transferring to Cornell University, where he graduated in 1951 with a degree in labor relations.

Following graduation, Bill and Be, who were married on July 24, 1948, began Bill’s career with Union Carbide Corporation, living in various locales throughout the United States and culminating with Bill’s appointment as Director of Labor & EEO Affairs at Carbide’s corporate headquarters in New York City. Bill and Be settled in Ridgefield after Union Carbide relocated to Danbury, with Bill retiring in 1987. Following his retirement, Bill consulted for Union Carbide and its then subsidiary, PraxAir, for another five-plus years before Bill and Be relocated to Danbury.

Bill was fun-loving, always ready with a joke, and had many, many laughable stories to tell. He was a great sports enthusiast, having hosted a nightly sports program while at Cornell and managing the intramural basketball program, and he was especially knowledgeable of baseball and football. Bill was also an avid tennis player.

Bill is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Bebe; his son, Mark, and his wife, Melinda Kovack, and their children, Vera Ashley and Callie Jean Kovack; his son, Scott, and his wife, Lynn Kovack, of Newtown and their son, Billy Kovack, and Billy’s wife, Sara. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Briana, Lexi, and Hannah Kovack of Newtown, born of the late Mindy Kovack, Scott and Lynn’s first-born.

Bill had a long and successful life, but is still gone too soon.