Obituary: WILLIAM CARL SANOWSKI III
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December 22, 1947 – July 28, 2026
William Carl Sanowski III, born December 22, 1947, in Cobleskill, New York, died July 28, 2026. Known to family and friends as Bill, he lived a life shaped by service, family, horses, the outdoors, and an enduring connection to the American West.
Bill graduated from Bend Senior High School in 1965. He continued his education at Central Oregon Community College, earning an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts, and later attended Oregon State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science.
Ranching and horses were constants throughout Bill’s life. A lifelong rancher and accomplished horseman, he lived and worked across Oregon, eastern Washington, and Montana. His knowledge of livestock, horses, and ranch life was not simply the product of his education; it came from a lifetime spent working the land and living the traditions of the West.
Bill was also an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing. His skill as a bowhunter earned him an extraordinary place in hunting history: for many years, he held the world record for an elk taken with a bow. Whether on horseback, working a ranch, hunting in the mountains, or fishing, Bill was most at home in the landscapes of the West that formed such an important part of his life.
As a young man, Bill served his country as a United States Marine. He served with distinction in combat in Vietnam, earned the qualification of Expert Rifleman, and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat. His service as a Marine remained an important part of his life and legacy.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Bill Sanowski Jr. and Marie Lamendola Sanowski; his sister, Kathleen Hoffman; and his daughter, Erika Scortino.
His legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren and the generations of the Sanowski family who follow him. He will also be remembered by extended family, lifelong friends, and the many people whose paths crossed his over the course of a life spent largely beneath the wide skies of the American West.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated at the historic St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Bend, Oregon, at 10:00 a.m. on September 1, 2026. A Celebration of Life reception will follow at Aspen Hall in Bend, where family and friends will gather to remember Bill and share the stories and memories of his life.
More info: bit.ly/billsanowski
