William “Bill” Lewis Schurk, 85, of Bowling Green, Ohio passed away peacefully on Monday, August 10, 2026. He was born August 28, 1940, in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Wilbur and Virginia (Becvar) Schurk.
Bill loved anything and everything pop culture and music. A lifelong collector, he loved to stop by thrift stores and resale shops, always hunting for his next cool treasure. Bill’s greatest find came when he met his wife Bonnie in 1962. They were “Falcon Flames”, dating all through college and were married April 27, 1968.
Bill worked at the Cleveland Cadillac Tank Plant and the Cleveland Public Library before earning his Bachelor ‘s Degree in English at Bowling Green State University (’66) and his Master’s Degree in Library Science from Western Reserve University (’67). He worked for Bowling Green State University in the Jerome Library for 49 and a half years, retiring in 2016 as the University Libraries Sound Recording Archivist. Beginning in 1967, he joined his mentor and friend, Ray Browne to assist in the building of BGSU’s new popular culture library and audio collection. For Bill, collecting and preserving media was more than his job, it was his passion. Throughout his time at BGSU, Bill made innumerable donations of various media to the library. He also provided valuable consultation on many high profile projects including Time-Life Music’s compilation CD series and archiving guidance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. He also enjoyed sharing his endless popular music knowledge through many guest presentations and publication collaborations over the years. Upon his retirement, BGSU dedicated their Sound Archives to Bill, naming them the Bill Schurk Sound Archives. These archives are North America’s largest academic collection of popular music with more than one million items and the largest accessible collection of 45 rpm records in the country.
Bill is survived by his loving wife Bonnie (Wright) Schurk, children Kristin (William) Tuttle, Ryan Schurk, Lauren (James) Schall, cherished grandchildren Amanda (Rachel), and Jack, all of Bowling Green, Ohio, siblings Robert Schurk (Prec. Margie) of Falls Church, VA, Richard (Prec. Laurel) Schurk of Berea, OH, Sandra (Ron) Marius of Berea, OH, and Katherine (Tim) Kreuzer of Columbia Station, OH.
In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his sisters-in-law Laurel Schurk and Margie Starkey.
The family would like to thank The Willows of Bowling Green, and are deeply grateful for their compassionate and attentive care in Bill’s final months.
A memorial visitation will be held for Bill on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Dunn Funeral Home, located in the Historical District of Bowling Green, Ohio at 408 W. Wooster St. 43402.
Memorial donations may be made in Bill’s honor to the BGSU Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives.
To leave an online condolence or fond memory, please visit www.dunnfuneralhome.com.
