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Longest serving Cuyahoga Falls municipal court judge passes away
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: November 12, 2014
A hard worker with a kind and charitable side, that’s how many describe former Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court Judge William B. Pike.
The 86-year-old, who has the distinction of being the longest serving judge in the history of the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court, passed away on Oct. 27.
“Bill loved being a judge,” said Thomas Bauer, a friend and former Cuyahoga Falls prosecutor who has known Judge Pike since 1975. “After he retired, he continued to serve as a fill-in judge for 10 years. He was always excited to pitch in when people went on vacation.
“When he turned 80 and could no longer fill in, he was very unhappy.”
“My father was the best,” said his youngest son Robert Pike. “He was very loved, but he gave no quarter to his children. He believed in hard work and he tried to pass on the idea to his children and grandchildren.
“My father was not the type of man to sit down and watch television. He was always doing something productive. He made it a point to make the most of his time.
“He missed one day of work that I know of in his life and that was to have an operation. He really gave the electorate their money’s worth.”
Born in the Collinwood section of Cleveland on June 6, 1928, Judge Pike attended Cathedral Latin High School. After serving in the U.S. Army and receiving a World War II Victory Medal, he got a bachelor’s in education from Kent State University.
“My dad was a gregarious individual,” said Robert. “He was elected president of his senior class in college and the most popular man on campus. He was listed in the ‘Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges.”
Judge Pike got his juris doctor from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, after which Robert said his father worked in the insurance business as a claims adjuster at American States Insurance Company.
He began his legal career as a solo practitioner in Mogadore, later forming a partnership with attorney Clyde Conn in Cuyahoga Falls.
Prior to taking the helm at the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court, Judge Pike served as law director in Cuyahoga Falls under former mayor Bruce Thomas, Administrator of the Summit County Bureau of Support in the Domestic Relations Court and as Referee in the Summit County Domestic Relations Court.
“I can remember being a juror on one of his trials years before I got involved in politics and I found him to be very sincere and compassionate,” said former Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart.
“When I became mayor, Judge Pike was one of two municipal judges,” said Robart. “To me he was always a perfect gentleman and a very honorable person.
“I asked him to cut a ribbon a few years ago when we opened a portion of the fitness center aimed at seniors. He was an all-around great guy.”
“Bill really enjoyed his work in the municipal court,” said Bauer. “He enjoyed meeting the people who came before him and helping them out.
“He performed marriages and he really liked that part of the job as well. He would try to make it a solemn occasion by adding quotes from the Bible or other religious sayings,” said Bauer.
“We went to lunch a few months ago and he made it a point to shake hands with the people who knew him,” Bauer said. “He liked shaking hands and being friendly. I guess it was a throwback to his years in office.
“We had a lot in common. When his wife Helen was still alive we would often have card games at his house with the people he worked with or used to work with. His wife was always supportive and friendly. It was obvious they had a good relationship.”
“The thing I remember most about Judge Pike is how fair and reasonable he was at the municipal court level,” said Cuyahoga Falls Service Director Eric Czetli, Judge Pike’s first bailiff. “The judge and I always viewed the municipal court like a ‘people’s court’ because we heard matters from regular people who committed minor offenses,” said Czetli. “He related so well with everybody. He could be tough when he had to be, but he could also be fair and compassionate.”
Czetli said Judge Pike could have sought another term in the court, but was “unhappy” with the introduction of sentencing guidelines. “Judge Pike felt he was in the best position to decide what a person’s sentence should be,” said Czetli.
“I took over the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court in 1998,” said Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio.
“It was a smooth transition. Judge Pike was like a mentor to me. After the election, he would invite me to come by and watch him do cases and answer my questions. He was always friendly. I cannot remember seeing him when he did not have a smile on his face. When it came to business, however, he would give the defendants a stern talking to.
“He had a granddaughter who was involved in sports at the same time that my late daughter was and I would see him watching her play. He had a lot of pride in his children and grandchildren.”
“Judge Pike had already left the municipal court by the time I was a sitting judge,” said Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty. “I did ask him to fill in for me many times. He was very sharp and nice. Everyone always liked having him come to court.
“He was very pleasant. I never saw him get stressed out. He was a real ‘class act.’”
A devout Catholic, Judge Pike was a charter member of St. Eugene’s Catholic Church in Cuyahoga Falls. He was active in many local organizations including the Knights of Columbus no. 1768 and Little League baseball and Peewee football.
“My parents grew up together and lived a few blocks apart,” said Robert. “They were married about 40 years. My mom passed away in 2001.
“My dad was my brother’s and my sports coach,” said Robert. “He was very involved in everything we did.”
“Judge Pike was my Little League baseball coach when I was 10 and 11,” said Stow Municipal Court Judge Kim Hoover, who became friends with Judge Pike’s oldest son, Jay, at age 8.
“When I went on to play football at Maryland, the judge would send me a note anytime he saw me play on TV, including one that simply stated ‘Get a haircut.’”
Judge Hoover said he and Jay Pike were classmates at The University of Akron School of Law, adding that when he became a prosecutor intern he tried his first cases in front of Judge Pike, losing his first trial.
“He mentored me,” said Judge Hoover, adding that the judge “treated me like family.”
After Hoover became a judge, he said the two served together for several years. Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court relocated and became Stow Municipal Court in 2009.
“He gifted me a Bible that had been passed down from Edward Mahoney to Sam Bell to Frank Bayer. It will be my honor to pass that book onto another judge upon my retirement. I am sure that the next recipient will feel the same honor that Judge Pike passed on to me as the latest of that legacy.”
A burial mass was held at St. Eugene’s Catholic Church on October 30. Judge Pike was laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery in Cuyahoga Falls.
Judge Pike is survived by his sons, Jay and Robert and grandchildren Adrianne (Anne) van Rossum, Maureen, Kevin, Brock, Rachel, Alexandra and Bailey. His parents, Benedict and Jennie, his wife Helen and his five siblings all preceded him in death.