Bill "Supie" Supernaw
William J. “Supie“ Supernaw, 80, of Charlevoix, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at Boulder Park Terrace with his beloved sisters at his side. He was born May 8,1943, in Charlevoix, the son of Henry and Elvira Gillespie Supernaw.
Supie attended Saint Mary Elementary School and graduated from Charlevoix High School in 1961. He had the lead role in both the Junior and Senior plays, and was complimented by the high school principal as the best actor he had seen in any plays at CHS.
After high school, while announcing softball games for the City Softball League, Deano Davenport told Bill that he had a great voice, and should look into radio announcing. That began a 20-plus year career on the radio. Starting at Gaylord at WATC, he moved to WMBN and then WJML in Petoskey. He became known as “The Voice of the North.“
After that, he started a Movie Theater career with cousin/best friend, Sam Supernaw, and friend Tom Merta. Eventually he bought out his partners and operated Cinema III in Charlevoix until 2017.
Bill was a member of the Charlevoix Lions Club, served on the City Council, was a Board Member of Charlevoix County Junior Golf, and announced the Grand Venetian parade for over 50 years. After picking up his buddy Quinton Walker, he joined “The Guys” for coffee each morning to catch up on the latest news around town. His most cherished association was with the Alano Club, which supported his 31 years of sobriety.
Bill treasured time spent with his sisters and their families: Mary and Don O’Brien and their children Don (Karen Stolpman) and John (Sara); Linda and Dennis Warner and children Christopher (Amy) and Lindsey Warner ; Arlene and Terry Blissett and children Tricia (Tim) Petrosky, Travis Blissett, and Becky (Patrick) Mallon; Julie Supernaw and daughter Jennifer (Jamie) Monteith; and his great nieces and nephews Cullen O’Brien; Jacob, Lizzie, and Taylor Petrosky; Henry, Holden, Sam, and Annie Warner; Kendall, Ryan, and Avery Mallon; and Zoey Monteith.
Greeting Bill are those family members who went before him: his Mom and Dad, his brother Robert A., and his brother-in-law Terry Blissett.
Visitation will take place at St. Mary Catholic Church in Charlevoix on Sunday, May 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with a rosary following. A memorial mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 22, also at St. Mary Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations to honor Bill’s memory can be made to Charlevoix Junior Golf, B.A.S.E.S., or St. Mary School. Envelopes will be available at the church.
Bill’s only request for his life story: “Tell everybody I was really a nice guy.”
Arrangements are in the care of the Charlevoix Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes. Please sign his online guestbook at
www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com
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