William (Bill) Michael Karbonit, 79, of Barboursville died Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in a Huntington hospital after a long illness.
Born Jan. 17, 1945, in Beckley, he was the son of the late Charles Martin and Anna Kuhn Karbonit. His brother, Charles Martin Karbonit Jr. preceded him in death. Survivors include his wife, Sandy Caseino Karbonit; one son, Kirk and wife, Bethany of Richmond, Va.; a daughter, Natasha Handley of Barboursville; a sister, Cathy Fleenor and William Perry of Beckley; sister-in-law, Judy Karbonit of Beckley; two grandchildren, Ethan and Avery, and several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A 1963 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, Bill, known as Billy the Kid Karbonit by his sports family, excelled in sports โ lettering in Flying Eagles basketball, football, baseball and track.
Bill was considered one of the best all-around athletes in West Virginia history.
As one of the finer athletes in the storied history of WWHS sports, heโs still remembered for his title-deciding layup in the Class AAA championship game against Weirton High School in 1962.
Bill attended Greenbrier Military School in Lewisburg where he played baseball and after graduation played baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates Farm Team for a season.
He was also an avid golfer and a member of the WWHS Football and Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was a graduate of Marshall University and shortly after was a freshman baseball coach under Jack Cook there. He also coached basketball at Saint Josephโs High School in Huntington.
Bill worked for years for the 3M Company in Huntington; BASF and Chapman Printing in sales.
The body was cremated. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at Wallace Funeral Home in Barboursville. www.timeformemory.com/wallace.
