William R. Mendez

William Randal “Bill” Mendez, 91, of Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away on November 9, 2026, at The Christian Village at Mason.

Bill was born at home in Omar, West Virginia, on August 29, 1935, to Magdaleno “Leo" and Nancy Boggs Mendez. His father, a coal miner, died when Bill was just seven years old. As the son of a Mexican immigrant, he spent the rest of his life quietly proving how far faith, hard work, and determination can carry a man.

He served his country in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. College came later than it does for most. By the time Bill enrolled at Michigan State University to study business, he was a husband and the father of four young children. With a family depending on him, he worked full time while finishing his degree and became the first in his family to attend and graduate from college.

That experience shaped the father he became. Bill and his beloved wife, Martha, raised their four children, Rand, Jane, Melissa, and David, to understand that an education was a path to a better life. Bill subsequently built a 30-year career in sales with Ford Motor Company in Cincinnati. He and Martha were married for 68 years, and in addition to their own four children, they were foster parents to more than 32 children over a period of 12 years.

Whatever Bill took up, he mastered. In his younger days he was known as a card shark and a pool shark, and he then turned to golf, which he played, and played well, for 50 years. Bill had four holes-in-one in his golf career, and was a starter at Sharon Woods Golf Course for 5 years after he retired from Ford.

He was a man of deep Catholic faith and a member of St. Gabriel Church. He loved his God, his country, and his family. Above all, Bill was a humble and devoted family man. 

Bill is survived by his wife, Martha; his children, Rand (Carolyn), Jane (Kevin), and David (Phoebe); his son-in-law, Tom Breidenstein; his grandchildren, Ben (Ally), Jon (Kate), and Joe (Kassandra) Carnahan, Frances and William Breidenstein, William “Will” and Magdalena “Maggie” Mendez, and Ellerbe and Sebastian Mendez; his great-grandchildren, Brian, Nora, Emerson, Callan, and Michael Carnahan; his sisters, Betty Simpkins and Mary Lou Klingkamer; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Melissa Breidenstein (2023); his parents, Magdaleno “Leo” and Nancy Boggs Mendez; and his brothers, Magdaleno “Ray” and Sebastian “Tippy” Mendez.

Mass of Eternal Rest will be held at St. Gabriel Church, 48 W Sharon Rd., Glendale, OH 45246 on Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 10:30am. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Gabriel Church in Glendale, Ohio or The Christian Village at Mason, Ohio.