Billy Oswalt, Jr.

Billy Dean Oswalt Jr., 81 of Huber Heights, Ohio passed away Wednesday, August 16, 2023, from a lengthy illness while being cared for at Dayspring of Miami Valley in Fairbourn, Ohio.

Billy was born on April 22, 1942, in Windber, Cambria County, Pennsylvania a son of the late Billy Dean Oswalt, Sr and Mary Ann (Winder) Oswalt of South Fork, Cambria County, PA.

Billy joined the Air Force after graduation and was a proud Veteran of the United States Air Force, serving during the Vietnam War, and was based in Guam. He was also a lifetime member of the AMVETS.

He worked many years for Western Electric, which is now AT&T, and did a few other jobs after Retirement.

Billy loved sports, and especially enjoyed watching the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. For college sports, he was a fan of the Penn State Nittany Lions and Air Force Baseball, traveling long distances to watch his son Brian pitch. Billy was an amazing trout fisherman and could pull a trout out of any stream at any time of the year. He loved to fly-fish and was amazing at it. He loved fishing with his children throughout their lives, including introducing his daughter Joycelyn and Brian to it at Keystone State Park. Billy hunted as a young adult and rediscovered his passion for it when Brian was a teenager. He loved spending time helping his children succeed in school and throughout life. He helped Joycelyn build a box kite in grade school, which she won first place. He was a great dad when it came to cheering his children on.  He always made their events a priority.

One thing of note Billy did do was teach his children how to drive on a manual transmission. He loved to find a steepest hill and laugh at them when they were embarrassed for drifting backwards and letting the clutch out too fast.

Billy loved coaching youth sports.  Billy avoided conflict at all costs, except the one time he threw his clipboard after an egregious official's call and got thrown out of a youth basketball game. Billy spent time with his grandchildren as much as possible and loved them all dearly.  He would laugh when Jennifer and Krista took their huge balls in the field and the dogs and cows would run after them when they were young.  He went on adventures with all his grandkids having fun like he was a kid himself.

Billy got to spend his 81st birthday with his great-granddaughter Taytum and got a 4-generation picture with her.  Billy was admired as a dad with countless memories etched into all our hearts. Billy loved the beach, playing ping-pong, putt-putt golf, sports, dogs, sunflowers, gardening tomatoes, hummingbirds, the color purple, pineapple upside down cake, Sunday dinners together, and hot dogs. He thought it was humorous knowing 101 different ways to make a hot dog. 

A Methodist by faith, Billy found salvation and loved Jesus. His favorite verses were the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23.

Most importantly Billy loved his family very much and was a great man everyone loved being around. Left to share wonderful memories of him are his wife Mary Lou (Ater) Oswalt, who he married January 24, 2006; his children Joycelyn Dean (late John "Moe" Dean) of Brownsville, PA, Colonel Brian Dean (Jennifer) Oswalt, USAF, retired, of Omaha, Nebraska; his step-children; Michael Carroll, Michelle Carroll, and Steve Jones of Ohio; sister Lois Jean Pcola (late Joseph Pcola) of Summerhill, PA; grandchildren Jennifer Pellen (James "JP") of Washington, PA; Krista Costanza of Brownsville, PA, Garrett, Noelle, Camden, Mara, Graham and Piper Oswalt; great- granddaughter, Taytum Pellen; former son-in-law Anthony Joseph Costanza of Herminie, PA, and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and an aunt.

Along with his parents, Billy was predeceased in death by his former wife, and mother of his children, Mary Joyce "MJ" Fresch Oswalt from Summerhill, PA; and son in law John "Moe" Dean.

The Funeral Service was at 1:00pm Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at Powers-Kell Funeral Home in Jamestown, Ohio. Visitation was from 11am -1pm to the start of the service at the funeral home. Burial took place at Silver Creek Cemetery in Jamestown, Ohio immediately after the service, where Military Honors were accorded by the United States Air Force Honor Guard of Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

In lieu of flowers memory contributions can be made to: K9s for Warriors

Family and friends are welcome, and encouraged to write special memories, light a candle, or plant a tree via this website. 

A Celebration of Life with friends and family will be announced at a later date.

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