William Patrick Hudachek

William "Bill" Patrick Hudachek, 70, passed away peacefully overnight at his home in Vancleave, MS on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

Bill was born in Oakland, CA on September 19, 1954. The family moved to Ocean Springs in 1963 for the startup of the Standard Oil Refinery in Pascagoula, Bill was a lifelong resident of the MS Gulf Coast. 

He attended Santa Maria Catholic School in Orinda, CA, St. Alphonsus Catholic School in Ocean Springs, the Frankfurt International School in Oberusel, Germany 1965-1966 (family with father on work assignment), and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Biloxi. 

Family hiking and camping throughout Yosemite in springtime and summer vacations in Aptos, CA at the Pacific Ocean were highlights of Bill's boyhood experiences before leaving California. After moving to Ocean Springs, Mayberry, as he liked to call it, Bill was always curious, adventurous, and active taking piano lessons from Lorraine Powers and art lessons from neighbor, Gayle Clark; Bill played Little League baseball, served as an altar boy, crafted skimboards for low tide skimming, attended BSA camp and Jamborees in summers, and was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout following in the tradition of his father, uncle and cousins. Bill curated an extensive butterfly collection, attended to aquariums full of fish and reptiles, mounted a fine collection of found arrowheads from the beachfront, creeks, and rivers. Bill was an avid reader, lover of history, cinema, comedy, and all genres of music. Those who knew Bill may return to their memories in between the lines and the intentional omissions here along with volumes of pranks, mischief, and beyond. When Bill described himself as a blend of Andy Griffith and John Candy, his sister, Mary Anne, would chime in “and some guy from the ’60’s”, then, they’d have a great laugh and would pass a good time. Bill was known for his good company and sense of humor.

As an adult, in 1975, Bill became a born again Christian and member of the Fisherman's Net living on site at the full gospel fellowship community on front beach led by Rev. Phillip Spitzbergen, and later, as a member of Lighthouse Full Gospel Fellowship in Gulfport, MS. 

His employers were R. F. Ederer Net and Twine Company in Ocean Springs and Chevron Oil Refinery in Pascagoula. 

Always helpful, Bill reminisced about driving up to MSU to move his sister, Mary Anne, into the dormitory her freshman year after their parents left the US a month before his sister began college to work abroad 1978-1986. He will always be remembered as fun-loving Uncle Bill to his nieces, Katie and Nina, and nephew, Nick during summers at the family home spent barbecuing, going to the movies, playing "Gator" and 'Doink" in the pool, crabbing at the community pier and harbor, fishing, boating, and casting his fisherman's net on front beach in Ocean Springs.

In 2004, Bill suffered a back injury leaving him permanently disabled and heavily medicated. His sister, Mary Anne, became Bill’s Conservator and Guardian when he suffered a major health crisis in February of this year. The last seven months of his life and recovery were guided by loving kindness, compassion, grace in addiction-free dignity, and a reconnection to his faith, sharing his knowledge of the bible with close friends, and revisiting a curation of great films.

The family expresses gratitude and appreciation to all those who assisted in the weeks and months of recovery and rehab: Singing River Hospital staff and Skilled Nursing Unit, Deaconess Palliative Home Care (Jennifer Thompson NP, all the wonderful therapists), Comfort Keepers Home Care (who also had cared for their parents), Bill's caring family of housemates, and longtime friend, Derald Johnson, pastor of Lighthouse Full Gospel Fellowship in Gulfport who wrote to Mary Anne: "Thank the Lord for His loving kindness by bringing Bill back into the fold.”

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Maureen Hudachek in 2011; his second wife, Jeannie Fountain Hudachek in 2015. Bill is survived by his sister, Mary Anne Hudachek Deierlein (Greg) of Palo Alto, CA; nieces, Katie Deierlein of Oakland, CA; Nina Deierlein of Venice, CA; and nephew, Nick Deierlein of Mountain View, CA

Per Bill's wishes, there will be no funeral or formal memorial. His ashes will be scattered in the Gulf of Mexico at a later date.

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of William Patrick Hudachek.