William N. Foy Sr.

William “Bill” Newton Foy Sr.’s life was one that was full of love and adventure. He was born as the youngest of five siblings, four brothers and one sister, to Robert R. Foy and Alice Carol Foy, formerly Spangler. He grew up in Bedford and worked at his father’s dealership, Bedford Motor Sales, during his teenage years.

After graduating high school, he went to college at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida; Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Elim Bible Institute in Lima, New York and went on to obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree in religious education. During his time at Elim Bible Institute, he met his future wife who, at the time, was Anita McCown. After nine months, they were married on June 24th, 1967 in Wampum, Pennsylvania.

The following January, Bill and Anita answered God’s call to be a missionary and moved to the Bukuria Mission in Kenya, East Africa. He taught math, chemistry, science, and religious education at Taranganya Secondary School. From an early time, Bill’s love of Jesus was on a clear display, and after three years, he accepted the invitation to move to Kampala, Uganda to teach pastoral theology in seminars, which helped to bring many people to God.

In 1972, Bill and his wife heard about a church, called Bible Deliverance Center,  that needed a pastor in Saxton, Pennsylvania. They decided to answer God’s call there, and he became the pastor for four years. In 1976, they moved to Houston, Pennsylvania, where he pastored alongside his brother-in-law, Rev. Ralph Volpe, in Central Assembly of God. After ten years of marriage, Bill and Anita then welcomed their son, Billy Foy. In 1978, Bill then went on to become the lead pastor of First Assembly of God in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

After eight years of living in the United States, Bill and his family answered God’s call once again and returned to Kenya, East Africa, where Bill was a missionary and a professor of theology at Nairobi Pentecostal Bible College. Bill was also instrumental in getting evangelist TL Osborne to come to Kenya and became his head of advertising. During this time, he was asked to speak at an island-wide Easter conference in Mauritius, where thousands of people came to hear God’s word, and many local pastors said it changed the face of the country. His work was influential in saving and healing thousands of people.

In 1989, they moved back to Bedford, Pennsylvania, and Bill began to immerse himself into many hobbies, including flying, scuba diving, and collecting historical artifacts. He obtained his commercial pilot license in Kenya and the United States. Throughout Bill’s life, he owned six aircraft. Additionally, he became a certified PADI scuba diver and was Nitrox certified. Bill used this training to dive all over the world, including in Mauritius and Kenya. He started his collection of WWII rifles and found a passion for history.

Bill was a passionate man in everything he did. He answered God’s calls to become a husband, father, grandfather, missionary, and pastor. Through his work, an untold amount of people were touched, healed, and saved by Jesus. He is remembered as being full of life and a great man. He is survived by his wife, Anita Foy; his son and son’s wife, William and Bethany Foy; and his two grandchildren, Isabella and Grayson Foy.

Bill was a man who loved everyone he met and was always willing to pray for them. His love for Jesus, his family, flying, scuba diving, storytelling and so much more will never be forgotten.

Merci beaucoup, 430 Foy.

Funeral services will be live streamed Saturday, March 13, at 4:00 p.m.  To view the services please click HERE. Arrangements by the Timothy A. Berkebile Funeral Home in Bedford.  Our online guest book is available at www.berkebilefuneralhome.com.