William B. Swartzlander Jr.

William Bryan Swartzlander Jr., born May 15, 1948, passed away at his home on March 21, 2026, after a 20-year battle with prostate cancer. Known to many as Bill, he was a husband, father, educator, coach, and longtime member of the Selinsgrove community. Bill graduated from Selinsgrove Area High School in 1966 after which he attended Williamsport Area Community College and Lock Haven University. He spent his career as a physical education and health teacher in the Selinsgrove Area School District. He also served for many years as a football and wrestling coach within the district, supporting generations of student-athletes. An Eagle Scout, Bill was involved in the Boy Scouts of America and supported their values of service and leadership. He was also an avid hunter and fisherman who had a deep love of the outdoors, spending many of his free hours in the woods and along local streams. He was an active member of the First Reformed United Church of Christ in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, where he married his wife of 53 years, Betsy Bahner Swartzlander. In addition to his wife, Bill is proud of and survived by his daughters, Nikki Swartzlander Bamonti and her husband, Stephen, and Britt Layne Swartzlander. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia A. Wendt; brother-in-law, Michael P. Bahner, and sisters-in-law, Lena (McClellan) Bahner, and Karen (Bahner) Thompson. He was preceded in death by his father, William Bryan Swartzlander Sr.; mother, Norma G. (Beaver) Swartzlander; sisters, Gloria J. Swartzlander and Pamela K. Swartzlander; brother-in-law, John F. Wendt; father-in-law, Nicholas E. Bahner; mother-in-law, Estelle K. Bahner; brothers-in-law, Keith N. Bahner and A.F. (Frank) Bahner and sister-in-law, Carolyn Bahner. Bill was known for his reliability, straightforward manner, and dry sense of humor. His legacy is reflected in the students he taught, the athletes he coached, and the family and community he supported. A private service for immediate family will be held at a later date.

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