William Sachanko

William Sachanko, 93, our father, grandfather & friend, passed away from a weakened heart on April 25, 2020. Bill was born on December 26, 1926, in New York City, NY to Andrijun Saczenko of Medvin, Ukraine and Paraska (Tessie) Spewak of Waymart, Pennsylvania.

Bill loved his youth, which included playing NYC street games in the ‘30s and ‘40s, and working during summers on his family's farm in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Brooklyn High School of Automotive Trade where he ran track, winning medals at Madison Square Garden & Randall Island. Bill was drafted into the Army, serving in 1945-46 and was stationed in Manila, Philippines as a truck mechanic and MP, and also played semi-pro football. His east coast career included working as an auto mechanic for Checker Cab, Otis Elevator as a Draftsman, and for Kearfott Co. as a Draftsman and Design Checker on aircraft parts.

He met his wife Irene Czaus at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral in NYC where they married on July 1, 1950. He and Irene loved to go Polka dancing on the weekends. They moved to Passaic and then Pequannock, New Jersey, where their three children were born. In 1959, they moved to Woodland Hills, California where he worked for Litton Industries as an engineering Project Analyst for 33 years, retiring in August 1992. In California Bill enjoyed golfing, bowling, fishing and gold prospecting in the High Sierras. He belonged to the Gold Prospector Club of America and the “New 49ers” located on the Klamath River. He traveled to Nome, Alaska three times, teaching others gold panning, metal detecting and dredging for gold on the Nome beaches in the Bearing Sea. He later also taught Nevada school children about their state's mining history through metal detecting and panning. In California, he and the family were active members of Saint Innocent Orthodox Church of America, Encino.

In 1999 Bill and Irene moved to Henderson, Nevada, where they made new friends in their McDonald Ranch community. They played card games and golfed, regularly swam and were members of “Community on Patrol”. They loved going to Edmonton, Canada to visit their Ukrainian cousins. During his last year Bill participated in the Veterans Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Irene. He is survived by daughters Barbara Dalmau of Novato, CA, Susan Sachanko of Las Vegas, NV, son William Sachanko of Las Vegas, NV; four grandchildren, Alexandra (Johnny), Jonathan, Sasha, and Alexander; and great-granddaughter Keira. He was a member of American Legion Post 40.

Visitation will be at Davis Funeral Home, Monday, May 4, 2:00-4:00 pm. Funeral will be on Tuesday, May 5 at St. Paul Orthodox Church, 5400 Annie Oakley Dr. Henderson NV, followed by burial at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, NV.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either St Paul Orthodox Church of Las Vegas, or the Southern Nevada Honor Flight for veterans.