William B. Kauczka, age 91, of Endicott, passed away peacefully on June 27, 2025. He was born on May 26, 1934 in Wilkes Barre, PA. He was pre-deceased by his wife of 64 years, Lois (Danilowicz) Kauczka, his parents, Michael and Catherine (Muchinsky) Kauczka, and siblings Helen Disbro, Sister Mary Alyson Kauczka, Sylvester Kauczka, Edward Kauczka, Leo Kauczka, Raymond Kauczka and Thomas Kay. He is survived by his son James Kauczka (Anne), his daughters Lynn Montgomery (John) and Joanne Raczka, his sister Rose Rosen, his grandsons Mark Ryan and David Montgomery, and many nieces and nephews.

As a young man, Bill worked as a paperboy, a stock car driver, a farm worker, a shoe maker and an employee of Colt Firearms. He volunteered for the army at age 21 because he wanted to go to college afterward. In basic training he qualified as ‘Expert’ with the M1 rifle and then worked on the staff of the missile school in El Paso TX. He received a degree as an Electrical Technician from Penn State with the third highest grade average of all students in 13 Penn State schools in 1959. 

Bill worked at IBM in Endicott, NY for 35+ years, becoming an advisory programmer, and being sent to numerous customers in the US and Europe to fix their banking machines. On his own time, he invented a device and wrote the software that allowed an IBM PC to be used as a TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf), which he donated to a non-profit deaf organization (Phone TTY) who then marketed it. For exercise, he ran about 20 miles and biked about 100 miles per week.

After retiring from IBM, Bill was a volunteer for 12 years at Tioga Aging Services, completing 250 home plumbing/electrical/carpentry repairs. He also volunteered at Habitat For Humanity, helping to build 17 houses. For the next 8 years, in his eighties, “Wild Bill” worked as a volunteer for Tioga County Rural Ministry and built, with some part time help, 60 handicap ramps, and had a great time doing it.

Bill was dedicated to his church, Our Lady of Good Counsel, and to his family, especially to his wife Lois, for whom he was the main caretaker in her later years.

The family will receive friends at the Coleman & Daniels Funeral Home, 300 East Main Street, Endicott, on Friday, August 8, 11am-1pm, including a prayer service by Deacon Michael Donovan. Interment will be at Riverhurst Cemetery in Endwell. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be to Tioga County Rural Ministries, 146 Central Avenue, Owego NY, 13827.