William George Wagstaff

He leaves his wife of 59 years, Delma Faye (Larson) Wagstaff, Liberty Lake, WA; his children: Barbara (Kendall Blaine) Parkes, Spokane Valley, WA; Robert Bruce (Sheri Whitworth) Wagstaff, Greenacres, WA; Janet Wagstaff, Spokane Valley, WA; Michael George (Marybeth Miles) Wagstaff, Hebron, KY; Lisa, (Grant) Guinn Spokane Valley, WA; Lori Limberhand, Lame Deer, MT. He also leaves behind siblings: Frank E. (Jane) Wagstaff (Brother), Jennet (Edward) Siniff, Jane (Bob) Shawn, and Joan (Gary) Browning (Sisters), as well as eighteen grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and many friends.

He was born in Logan, UT (Cache County) to George Brinton and Laura Elizabeth (Everton) Wagstaff, and moved with his parents to the Spokane area in 1944. In his early years, Bill would train as a specialty machinist in the family’s business, Wagstaff Machine Works. After graduating from West Valley High School in 1954, he attended Utah State University where he graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Machine Tool Engineering. He met his wife, Delma Faye Larson, through a mutual acquaintance, and they were married in 1956 in the LDS Idaho Falls Temple.

Bill and his family moved back to Spokane in 1958 and rejoined the family specialty tooling company. Blessed with a keen mechanical mind and a tenacious spirit, he flourished in the unique opportunities the family business presented. He and his brother Frank later purchased the company from their parents and completed the transformation to the Wagstaff, Incorporated of today. Bill led the company, until his retirement in 2015, to become the world’s premier manufacturer of aluminum casting equipment.

Passionate about vintage automobile restoration, he restored well over 100 cars in his spare time. While his dedication was always to bring new life to a machine, he found a profound joy in working on early model Ford Mustangs.

As an active member in his local church community, he served in a number of different capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) including Sunday School Teacher, Elders Quorum President, Bishop, and High Councilor.

A service will be held at 10:00AM Friday January 8, 2016, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Valley Stake Center located at 21022 East Wellesley, Otis Orchards, WA 99027. A viewing to pay final respects will precede the service at 8:30 AM.

A Memorial Fund has been established with the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org/Donation/Memorial Donation-Enter Bill Wagstaff’s name in the Tribute Information). The family requests that in lieu of flowers; please focus the feeling of your hearts towards a donation to help others in need.