WILLIAM "BILL" PITCH

William “Bill” Pich, age 90, passed away from natural causes on July 7, 2026. He was a loving husband and devoted father. Bill was born as the third of four children on May 8,1936 near Slovak, Arkansas to the late George and Katherine “Katie” Pich. 

Bill grew up on his family’s farm and married his high school sweetheart, Mary Margaret Auersberg. He graduated from De Valls Bluff High School in 1954. Shortly after getting married, Margaret and Bill moved to Little Rock for Bill to attend college at UALR to obtain an engineering degree but, they later decided to return to Hazen to live on and work on the family farm. Bill eventually took over the family farm and jointly farmed the Pich Farms property between Hazen and De Valls Bluff with his brother, Albert “Sonny” for many years. 

Over time, Bill’s farming operations grew to include farmland in Slovak, Center Point, and land at the Hazen airport in addition to the original Pich Farms property. In addition to farming, Bill had a knack for welding and precision metal working and thus he gradually acquired numerous metal lathes, drill presses, and other precision metal working tools to enable him to make custom parts to support his farm equipment and he began providing these services to other farmers in the area. Bill eventually transitioned out of farming and focused on running his machine shop full time up until the point in which he retired his machine shop business. Away from work, Bill enjoyed spending time on the golf course, fishing, RV camping, and making parts for other farmers at his shop. He also explored many other hobbies including watercolor painting, metal detecting, and collecting and restoring antique cars, among many other things. One of the most memorable hobbies was him custom building his children an amazing go cart that was enjoyed for many years by all of his children.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Margaret Pich, son, William “Alan” Pich, brother, George Gene “GG” Pich and sister, Mary Ann Willey. He is survived by two children, Terry Hirsch (Greg) and Jon Pich (Lisa), He is also survived by his brother Albert “Sonny” Pich, Alan’s former wife (Dawn Teer), and his 8 grandchildren, Bethany Pich Hildebrand (Chance), Sarah and Joseph Pich, Jennah McArthur and Stephanie Hirsch, Slader, Olivia and Emily Pich. Bill had three great-grandchildren Jake McArthur, Holden and Hattie Jo Hildebrand. In the years after Margaret’s passing, Bill had the blessing of meeting Paige Frank Myrick (Memphis) who would become Bill’s 15+ year companion for the rest of his life. Paige and her family welcomed Bill into their family and treated him with open arms as one of their own.

Visitation will be on Saturday, July 18th, 2026 held at Westbrook Funeral Home Chapel in Hazen, Arkansas beginning at from 10:30 A.M.until 11:30 A.M. with funeral services immediately following beginning at 11:30 A.M. He will be laid to rest with his late wife, Margaret; and his son, Alan thereafter in the Hazen Cemetery.