William E. "Billy" Molina

January 24, 1943 - November 2, 2021

William E. “Billy” Molina

Billy Molina was so well loved as a teacher and mentor that, no matter where he went during his retirement years, people were heard to say, “Isn’t that Mr. Molina, the science teacher?”

Born on January 24, 1943 in Beckley, West Virginia, Billy was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother. A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, he played on the baseball team and graduated in 1961. He attended Concord University, where he also played baseball, and then West Virginia University where he graduated in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in education. A talented baseball player, he was a switch hitter who also played on the Babe Ruth League.

Starting in 1967, he taught science at Lorain City Schools at Hawthorne Elementary School, Irving Elementary School, and Lorain Middle School. The winner of the statewide, student-nominated Crystal Apple Award, he was well known for inspiring a love of science in students as well as his leaf collection assignments, unusual field trips, and the critters he kept in his classroom (that occasionally escaped and caused some excitement for the day). He led several school clubs, including the Sierra Rangers, Rocket Club, and the Vet Club, and he coached sports teams, retiring from Lorain City Schools in 2002.

A member of the Memorial Baptist Church in Beckley, West Virginia, he became a member and elder of Heritage Presbyterian Church in Amherst, Ohio during his retirement years.

He cheered on Cleveland sports with a passion—baseball, football, and basketball—as well as Ohio State University football. Other hobbies included going on archaeology digs on Civil War and Native American sites, doing genealogy research, camping, fishing, and just sitting around a bonfire to enjoy nature and have good conversations.

Billy never met a stranger and could easily connect with people because of his curiosity, kindness, humbleness, politeness, and never-failing sense of humor.

He passed away on November 2, 2021 at the age of seventy-eight at University Hospital-Elyria Medical Center, following a lengthy illness. He was predeceased by his parents, Andrew and Mary (Ormandy) Molina; his wife Karen (Foster) Molina; and son, Jason. He is survived by his son, Aaron (Dr. Nicole, née Recore) of Woonsocket, Rhode Island; daughter, Ashley (Paul) Lawson of Lorain; granddaughters Melina and Elsie Lawson and Josephine Molina; sisters Nancy (Darrell) Ford of Beaver, West Virginia and Mary Ellen Molina, of Deerfield Beach, Florida; and aunts Hatty Wickline of Beckley, West Virginia and Jean Ormandy of Shady Spring, West Virginia, and Helen Molina of Florida; and sisters-in-law, Brenda (Jack) Laws and Debbie (Greg, deceased) Foster, both of Beckley, West Virginia.

He is also survived by many loving cousins, nephews, and a niece as well as his beloved friends and caregivers—Jeff, Tracy, Doug, and Erin Isenberg—and all his fur buddies. He lives on in the memories of family members and friends, and in all the students he inspired.

In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree and learn the scientific name. Donations can be made to Green Forest Work, 730 Rose Street, Lexington, KY  40546-0073 or at GreenForestsWork.org.

Friends may call on Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 11 a.m. until services at 1 p.m. at Hawthorne Elementary School at 610 W. 20th Street in Lorain. You’re also invited to attend the funeral service. For everyone’s safety, this will be a masked environment.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William E. "Billy" Molina, please visit our floral store.