Albert "Bill" Contos

Albert “Bill” Contos passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 18, 2022. He was born on July 22nd, 1939 to Hazel and Albert Contos of Toledo. Bill graduated from Waite High School in 1957 before attending Bowling Green State University where he excelled as a member of the swim team.

Bill joined the United States Army shortly thereafter.  He spent much of his service in Europe in the early 1960’s. He sometimes reminisced with his family about his time in places like Italy, France, Germany, and Ireland.

Upon his return to the states, he met and married the love of his life, Karen Bisel. Over the years, they built a beautiful life together and raised 3 sons: Mark, Matthew, and William, and their daughter, Christine.

Bill proudly gave 28 years of service to the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department.  He started his firefighting career at Station 10, but spent the majority of his career at Station 6. He was a well-known cook at his stations, always making delicious meals for his brothers in the department.

In his retirement, Bill volunteered with Helping Hands of Northwest Ohio for many years, making food for their soup kitchen service. He put those fire department recipes to good use when he was feeding the crowd at Helping Hands.

Bill was an honorable man of much faith. He was a devoted member of St. Ignatius in Oregon for many years. He had a very strong work ethic, sometimes working up to 3 jobs at a time, all to make sure he could provide a good life for his family.  He was an intelligent man who enjoyed sharing information about world history, meteorology, and math.

Bill was an avid classic car enthusiast. He spent many years working on restoring his beloved Barracuda, and enjoyed taking his wife on summertime rides around town.

You could always spot Bill with a hot cup of coffee in hand, day or night, his favorite being Tim Horton’s. He looked forward to making his daily trip for a large coffee (and maybe a couple chocolate Timbits).

He was a fun-loving, kind-hearted “Papa” to his 7 grandchildren, and he continued that sweet-natured spirit with his 10 great-grandchildren as their “Great-Papa.”

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Eileen Belinske, and his sons, Mark and Matt.  He is survived by his devoted wife of 57 years, Karen Contos, his son Billy Contos, his daughter Chris (Ted) Keil, 7 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

Those wishing to pay their respects may do so on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at Freck Funeral Chapel in Oregon, Ohio from 2:00-8:00 p.m. where last alarm service will take place at 7:00 p.m.  Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 212 N. Stadium Rd. in Oregon where family will greet guests after 10:00 a.m.  Burial will follow at St. Ignatius Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff and Ayden Healthcare of Oregon for the excellent care Bill received. Those wishing to make memorial contributions may do so to Promedica Hospice, St. Ignatius Catholic Church, or Toledo Firefighters Museum.