Wednesday, September 18, 2024
An Unexpected Vacation: William A. Sacherek.
On July 2, 2024, William Sacherek was enjoying a delightful vacation with his beloved wife, Lilo Lamerdin, when he suddenly and unexpectedly died before dinner in Winthrop, Washington. Lilo lost the love of her life, and the world lost a man who could mentor and mold future generations to walk a path of love, truth, and respect. Heaven gained a star who had used his light and love to serve anyone in need. William was beloved by all who knew him, and we shall miss him deeply … and yet, we still accept that when God made that final call, William answered as willingly as he had for the first call.
William “Sac” Sacherek was born in Manchester, Connecticut, in 1946 to William Alfred Sacherek and Mary Augustine. He had a sister, Margaret, and a large extended family in the area. His childhood was happy. He especially appreciated the time he spent with his maternal grandmother, a convicted bootlegger, who baked pies just for him. William benefited from his father’s influence: a man with little formal education who nevertheless was inducted into the local Hall of Fame of the National Football Foundation.
William’s Christian faith was always present for him and kept him on a path of light and truth. His generous nature and genuine caring inspired an abundance of friends and acquaintances as well as his close friends and family.
As a young man, William joined the Army and worked for the National Security Administration (classified projects) for four years in the 1960s. Later he was able to obtain his BA in History from Simon Fraser University courtesy of the G.I. Bill. He also learned Mandarin at the Defense Language Institute. At some point he realized that his real talent was that of a visionary who had the ability to identify each step needed to bring a vision into existence. This talent is why he was hired by Boeing in 1978 and retired as a Senior Benchmarking Manager – New Product Development in 2009.
In 1983, William had decided to travel to Europe and mentioned this to his waitress Pam Hendricks in Seattle. Pam told William that he should go have coffee with her mom who knew all about Europe and could give him some tips.
For William, meeting Lilo Lamerdin that first time in June 1983 left him with a vision that he pursued for nine years until she finally said “yes.” Pam was delighted and later said that William was “the best father she ever had!”
William and Lilo married at the Mukilteo Presbyterian Church in Old Town in 1992. Lilo’s mother and her daughter Pam attended their wedding, and they all continued the celebration at “Charles” a quaint French restaurant along the shores of Mukilteo.
