William A. Petrollini

Funeral services will be held at 11am Monday at the Lane Funeral Home Austintown Chapel for William A. Petrollini, 87, who died early Thursday morning in St. Elizabeth Medical Center. "Coxey" as he was affectionately known was born January 2, 1921 in Youngstown, a son of Joseph and Concetta (Desiata) Petrollini. He was the founder of the Petrollini Floor Sanding Company in 1940. He was a member of the Home Builders Association of the Mahoning Valley for over 50 years, serving on its Board of Directors for 28 years, and he was Chairman of the Home and Garden Show for 18 years. He received the Meritorus Service Award in 1982 and was Associate Member of The Year for the State of Ohio in 1991. The Associate of The Year Award was renamed the Bill Petrollini Award in 1995. He was a 32 degree Mason, belonging to the Argus Lodge #545 in Canfield for over 35 years. He belonged to the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Valley of Youngstown, the Al Koran Temple in Cleveland, the Youngstown Shrine Club and its Cooks Club, and he served as the Education Officer for the Argus Lodge. Bill served his country in the U.S. Army- European Theatre of Operations during WW II as a platoon Sergeant in Gen. George Patton's Third Army, fighting from Normandy, France to Linz, Australia. He was wounded twice in combat earning a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. He received many other medals including the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. He received a medal for the liberation of Normandy by President Kennedy's press secretary Pierre Salinger, a medal for the liberation of France by the Federation of French War Veterans, and a medal from the Mayor of Farbersville, France, for his part in the liberation of Farbersville in November, 1944. As National Commander of the 80th Infantry Division Veterans Association from 1995-1996, he was invited to Washington, D.C. where he was presented with two medals by Gen. DeBossiev of the French General Staff for the 80th Division role in the liberation of France and the 80th Division support of the French 2nd Armored division in many battles. He was invited to Summerall Field in Fort Myers, VA by invitation from the White House for the 50th Anniversary of V.E. Day where he was introduced to President Clinton. That evening he was invited to a gala reception at the French Embassy where he was introduced to the French Ambassador and his wife. He was a member of the VFW Post #93 Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Fraternal Order of Eagles Post #3298, Italian American War Veterans Post #3, the Disabled American Veterans of Ohio Post #2, he was on the Properties Committee at Camp Stambaugh, and he also served on the Civilian Conservation Corp at Gap Ranch- Burns, Oregon in 1940-41. He is survived by two sons; James R. (Sue Lance) Petrollini of Boardman and Robert J. (Andrea) Petrollini of Ft. Myers, FL. He also leaves a brother Arthur Petrollini of Boardman, a sister Phyllis Zizzo of Austintown, and two grandchildren; Emily and Kara Petrollini of Ft. Myers, FL. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers; Alfred Petrollini and Albert Petrollini, who was killed in action in France in 1944. Friends may call from 4-7pm Sunday at the funeral home.