William “Bill” John Barvinek, Jr., 86, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 26, 2026, with family by his side. A graveside service will be held Saturday, July 11, 2026, 12 Noon, at Czech National Cemetery, 2200 C Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, followed by a Celebration of Bill’s Life Gathering at Brosh Chapel 2121 Bowling Street SW, Cedar Rapids, until 3 p.m.

Bill was born on Easter Sunday, March 24, 1940, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to William John Sr. and Ethel Barvinek.

Bill enjoyed a successful career as a Tool Design Engineer at Collins Radio for 41 years where he was instrumental in the design of plastic injection molds for plastic components in programs like the Apollo missions, the Hellfire Missile Program, and the B1-Bomber program to name a few. His life-long interest and expertise in the use of plastics in manufacturing led him to charter the Eastern Iowa Section for the Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. in November of 1980.

One of Bill’s proudest personal achievements was defying his diagnosis of “Juvenile Diabetes” or Type 1 Diabetes since the age of 10. Following doctor’s orders, strict diets, and a few rum and cokes, he conquered the disease miraculously for 76 years, (beyond his original prognosis of 25 years).

Bill thrived at life and cherished every minute of every day. Woodworking, “over-engineering”, camping, dancing, fishing, hunting, pets and gardening all brought him joy. But his greatest joy was to be with his family and friends so he could share his own happiness and selflessness with others.

Bill is survived by two sons, Todd of Cedar Rapids and Brad (Beth) of Roxbury, Wisconsin; five grandchildren, Cara (Ryan) Core of Alburnett, Iowa; Baylor (Fran) of Mokena, Illinois; Andrew (Sophie) of McKinney, Texas; Colton (Davida) Schmidt of Lakewood, Colorado; and Olivia (Dylan) Michael of Grimes, Iowa; and six great-grandchildren, Avery, Kinlee; Theodore, Zoey, and Penelope; and Cooper.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue, of 63 years, parents William and Ethel Barvinek, Sister Barbara Jensen and brother in-law John Jensen.