Bill graduated from Saginaw High School and attended Northwestern Michigan College. He married Dixie Lee Donaldson April 6, 1968, in Saginaw and they moved to South Boardman in 1969. For many years Bill worked his dairy farm. In 1991, he found his passion in carpentry and construction.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, a son Daniel, and his father-in-law Herman Donaldson. Bill is survived by his wife of 39 years, daughter Amber (Jason) Soper of East Lansing, sister Ardis (Thomas) Bauer of Fife Lake, sister Roxanne (Jerry) Overton of Beaverton, brother Michael (Linda) Fischer of New Hudson, sister-in-law Geraldine (Tim) Kleber of Auburndale, Florida, brother-in-law Reverend Robert (Mary) Donaldson of Peoria, Illinois, and his mother-in-law Eleanor Donaldson of Frostproof, Florida; nieces and nephews, and good friends Dennis and Diana Soper.

Bill was known by his family and friends as a perfectionist in his work and for his talent in wood crafts. Last summer, Bill discovered that he had extraordinary gardening skills. Bill had served in the Michigan National Guard and was a life member of the National Rifle Association. Bill will be truly missed by his family and friends.

Funeral services were held Monday, April 16, 2007 at the Wolfe-O'Neill Funeral Home, Kalkaska, with Bill's brother-in-law, the Reverend Robert Donaldson, officiating with internment at the Boardman Township Cemetery.