William "Bill" Serveny

William L. “Bill” Serveny, 87 of Gaylord, passed away Sunday, April 15, 2018 at home.

Born in Detroit on August 8, 1930, he was the son of William and Gladys (Hilmer) Serveny.  Bill graduated from Western High School in Detroit in 1948.

On May 19, 1956 Bill married Marilyn in Detroit. Days after their wedding, Bill and Marilyn moved to California where Bill attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

After graduation, Bill worked for many years at General Motors as a commercial photographer.  There he designed the first photo facility for GM’s Tech Center, and serviced professionals by making slideshows for presentations about GM Research.

He also made movies and took still photos illustrating a number of different experiments related to automobiles and high-speed crashes.  He was one of the first to photograph lasers.

Upon retirement, Bill and Marilyn moved to Gaylord where his parents vacationed for years.

In 1991, Bill started with the Gaylord Herald Times as its Chief Photographer.  In that role, he loved showcasing the fabric of what makes Gaylord special through his camera lens.  He took photos at almost every event in the area, and with a bright smile and keen eye for photography, he was the most recognizable member of the Gaylord Herald Times staff.  Very seldom would you see Bill without his camera.

After years of covering Alpenfest, the Otsego County Fair, high school graduations, library events, sporting events and much more, Bill continued to take photos for the Herald Times through April 2018 with trusted assistant Marilyn often joining him on assignments.

While at the Herald Times, Bill ushered the newspaper into the age of digital photography.  Upon the way, he won numerous state awards for his news, sports and feature photography.

He loved spending time with his family and especially his grandchildren.  He will be greatly missed by his family and the Gaylord Community that grew to know, appreciate and enjoy Bill.

Bill is survived by Marilyn, his wife of 62 years; his two children, Scott Serveny of Gaylord and Kimberly (Paul) Fedorow of Macomb County; four grandchildren, Andrea, Scott L., Matthew and Sarah; and two great-grandchildren, Jaycee and Jaxtyn.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A gathering with family and friends will take place from 2:00 to 6:00 PM Friday, April 20, 2018 at Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service.  Those who wish are asked to consider memorial contributions to the Otsego County animal shelter. Please share your memories and personal messages with the family at www.gaylordfuneralhome.com.