William S. Dugas Sr.

Monday, November 23, 1998

William S. Dugas Sr.

Founder of Panhandle Food Sales
William S. Dugas Sr., 73, of Burgettstown, died Saturday, November 21, 1998, in Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh.

He was born October 22, 1925, in Slovan, a son of Steve and Mary Hvizdos Dugas.
Mr. Dugas was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church of Burgettstown, where he served as an usher for 45 years.
He was a graduate of Burgettstown Union High School and served with the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946 as a torpedo man, third class, stationed in Pearl Harbor.
Mr. Dugas owned and operated the former Duggies Tavern on Eldersville Road, Burgettstown, for 15 years, until he sold it in 1964.
In 1964, he founded Panhandle Food Sales Inc., manufacturing and marketing Duggie's and Billy Boy's Pizza products from his home until 1974, when he expanded the business and moved the company to its current location on Route 18 South, Burgettstown.
Mr. Dugas was named the Small Business Person of the Year for Western Pennsylvania by the U.S. Small Business Administration in 1987. He was a regular contributor to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and was a member of the Smaller Manufacture's Council, the National Federation of Independent Businessmen and the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association.
Mr. Dugas was active in community activities. He was a past member of the Slovan Volunteer Fire Department and had served on the Burgettstown Area Planning Commission. He was a charter and third-degree member of Council 3440 of the Knights of Columbus of Burgettstown, a fourth-degree member of the Bishop Hugh C. Boyle Assembly 0922 of the Knights of Columbus of Canonsburg, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Barto Post 6553 of Slovan and American Legion Post 698 of Burgettstown.
On May 26, 1951, at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Burgettstown, he married Rose Ann Bovalina Dugas, who survives.
Also surviving are two sons, William S. Dugas Jr. and David V. Dugas, both of Slovan; two daughters, Victoria Bywaters of Slovan and Rosalie Devereaux of Oakdale; 10 grandchildren, Dawn, Lori, Annie and John Dugas, William S. Dugas III, Donald Bywaters Jr., Alan Bywaters, Richard and Angela Devereaux and David Dugas Jr., ; six brothers, George Dugas of Albuquerque, N.M., Anthony Dugas of Cleveland, Ohio, Martin Dugas of Adrian, Mich., Edward Dugas of McDonald and Steve and Louis Dugas, both of Slovan; four sisters, Theresa Dugas of Slovan, Martha Resnik of Burgettstown, Bernadette Watson of New Cumberland, W.Va., and Frances Gilbert of Belleview, Neb.
Deceased are a brother, Albert Dugas, who died in World War II; and three sisters, Mary Beharry, Pauline Michalski and Elizabeth Dugas, who died in infancy.