Blue Devil Great Bill Bilzi Passes Away
August "Bill" Bilzi, one of the greatest athletes in Huntington High School history, passed away on New Year's Day. He was 87.
Nicknamed "Mountain," Mr. Bilzi starred on the football, basketball and baseball teams, winning 11 varsity letters in the three sports and numerous honors. His name appears on plaques that are still on display in the Huntington gym lobby showcase. He played for legendary coaches William Class and Harold Kincaid.
In addition to his stellar performances for the Blue Devils, Mr. Bilzi was a leader among his classmates. He was elected freshman class president by unanimous and re-elected president as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, he won a term as the school's G.O. president. He worked closely with Principal Robert L. Simpson.
Alongside Mr. Bilzi's photo in the 1941 edition of The Huntingtonian, Huntington High School's yearbook, is a quote: "Never hurry, never worry." It summed up the senior's philosophy as a teenager and perhaps beyond.
After graduating from high school, Mr. Bilzi served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. In 1946 he married his sweetheart, Majorie Erdmann. The couple enjoyed 44 years of bliss until she passed away in 1990. The pair raised three children in Huntington: Steven, Thomas and Patrice.
Mr. Bilzi, who was the ninth of ten children and the last surviving one, obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1950 at the University of Arizona and went on to enjoy a long career at the Grumman Aerospace Corp. He worked on Grumman's Apollo lunar module program and NASA's moon landings.
A legendary softball player, Mr. Bilzi was elected to the Long Island Softball Hall of Fame and served a stretch as its president. He was also a 35-year volunteer with the Halesite Fire Department and served several terms as one of that organization's commissioners. He was a key volunteer with St. Patrick's Little League, coaching teams for a decade and going on to lead the organization.
Years after his high school graduation, Mr. Bilzi, who was born in Huntington Hospital in 1923, could still be seen attending Blue Devil games. He sent his three children through the Huntington School District and enjoyed watching many of his 10 grandchildren leave their mark in Blue Devil history.
"Mr. Bilzi was extremely dedicated to this community," said Superintendent John J. Finello. Mr. Bilzi and Mr. Finello's father were close collaborators while volunteering with the St. Patrick's Little League program.
"His love for all things Huntington is well-established," Mr. Finello said. "We've lost a Huntington original and one of our most successful graduates."