William Kerestury

World traveler. Entrepreneur. Proud father and grandfather.

William “Bill” Kerestury was all these and more. His passing on August 25 at age 74 now leaves a large hole in the hearts of friends and family whose lives he touched in so many ways.

Bill was born in South Bend, Ind., on July 23, 1948, to the late William and Mary Kerestury (Fabursky), who owned Kerestury’s Grocery Store on the city’s west side. He was preceded in death by his sister, Joan Teter, and his brother Michael Kerestury.

He is survived by his daughter Erika (John) Staszewski of Palm Harbor, Fla., along with his grandsons Max and Emerson Staszewski, and his step-grandsons Sam and Cooper Staszewski.

A self-made success, Bill wore many hats during his business life. He was a sales manager for several local car dealerships before striking out on his own and running his own dealership and axle distributorship for a number of years. Bill’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to becoming an estate planner and financial advisor when he founded Great Lakes Legacy Group. There he helped many clients achieve their financial dreams.

His success in that field allowed Bill to travel the world, from Bali to Spain and many other fascinating destinations around the globe. He also enjoyed playing golf and fishing with his friends and was a passionate Notre Dame fan.

He found his greatest joy, though, in spending time with his grandsons. While he maintained a home in South Bend, he also established a residence in Palm Harbor so he could be close to Erika and “the boys”, allowing him to be with them as much as possible. Bill was devoted to them and attended all their games and events, gave them wonderful gifts at Christmas, and enjoyed their company every chance he could. With a wealth of life experiences, he was able to offer advice and help them learn valuable life lessons so they would become fine gentleman when they grew up.

A visitation for Bill will be held Saturday, September 3, from 10 a.m. to noon at Palmer Funeral Home – Welsheimer North Chapel 17033 Cleveland Road in South Bend. A memorial service follows immediately after. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. at Highland Cemetery, 2257 Portage Ave. in South Bend.

In Lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Sunnyside Presbyterian Church 115 S. Frances St. South Bend, IN 46617 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Online condolences may be left for Bill’s family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.

Posted online on August 30, 2022

Published in South Bend Tribune

08/31/2022 EJS