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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2026 | 71 William Henry Shova Sun Lakes lost one of its wonderful community members in January with the death of William Henry Shova. Bill was born in Toledo, Ohio, to William and Viola Shova. He spent his formative years in a little suburb of Toledo called Point Place. In junior high school, Bill became interested in singing and was a born performer. He met his future wife, Barbara, in sixth grade and they married after graduating from high school. Bill joined the U.S. Coast Guard, where he spent an exciting 21 years. He rose swiftly in rank, retiring as Chief Warrant Officer. He and Barbara lived in Connecticut, New York City, Louisiana, Washington state, and San Francisco. Bill retired in 1980, and the couple moved to Fontana, where Bill started a second career in 1981 with Raytheon, until retiring in 1991. After that, he worked as a consultant for Quality Aviation, an airplane parts company in Fontana. Bill loved sports, especially softball, skiing, and golf. He and Barbara moved to Sun Lakes in 2003, where Bill continued to enjoy golf. The couple joined many clubs over the years, including the Friendship Club, ICC, the Dinner Dance Club, and the 80s Plus Club. Throughout his life, Bill loved to sing. His rich bass voice was a natural for barbershop singing, and he joined The Inland Sound Men's Chorus where his deep voice could always be heard. He sang in the choir in Our Savior's Lutheran Church, with the Sun Lakes Chorale, Barbershoppers, the Notables, and in shows like the Follies and at's Entertainment. Bill is survived by Barbara, his wife of 67 years, son Jerry Shova and wife, Ann, daughter Christine and husband, Rene Link, and brother John Shova and his wife Gayle. A loving memorial for Bill was held Feb. 11. After the service, Bill was interred with military honors at Riverside National Cemetery. Patricia (Pat) Polonis Patricia Polonis, 92, of Shelby Township, Michigan, passed away on December 27, 2025 of kidney failure. She had resided in Sun Lakes for over 33 years. Patricia was born on June 6, 1933, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Russell and Ella Mann. She graduated high school in Massachusetts. The family moved to the Detroit area shortly after. In 1956, Patricia met Richard Polonis and married shortly thereafter. Patricia and Richard went on to have three sons, Stephen, Philip, and Scott. Patricia Polonis was predeceased by Richard (husband); Paul, Russ, Mike, and Jack (brothers); Janet (sister); and Philip (son). She is survived by Stephen and Scott (sons), Annelise (daughter in law), Jamie and Janette (granddaughters). Michael, Nick, and Noah (grandsons); Hunter, Jacob, Kaitlin, Connor, and Dominic (great-grandchildren). She was a loving mom who liked to travel. She enjoyed living in Sun Lakes and loved her home on Pauma Valley Road. She made a lot of friends there and loved visiting the Clubhouse. She will be missed by us all. We know she is in a better place now.

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