Bill spent his younger years in Gross Ile, Michigan, and moved with his family to the Stadler family farm near Urbana in 1939. He attended Concord School, graduated from Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1946, and attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. In 1949 he opened a Chrysler dealership in Almont, Michigan and later opened a Chrysler/Plymouth dealership in Grand Rapids. A health problem caused him to retire from the automobile business in the early 1950’s.
After recovering, he returned to work on the family farm. He spent winters at the family home in Ft. Lauderdale and later in Boca Raton, Florida. He was very active in scuba diving for a number of years. Beginning at a young age Bill became very active in competitive skeet and trap shooting. His many awards and trophies are held in a converted chicken house on the family farm where he spent many hours reloading shells. His titles included a world skeet championship. From the 1940’s until recent years he spent many pleasant days hunting in South America, Louisiana, Ohio, and wherever his family and friends decided to go.
Bill was very close to his brothers, Charles (Joan) and James (Betty). They spent many good times together flying (all three were pilots), fishing, hunting, boating, telling tall tales during cocktail hour, and just being together. Chuck and Joan’s children, Marc (Shary), Bill (Diane), and Karen Van Dusen (Gordy), grew up near Bill and consider him a second father. Bill taught Marc and Bill how to ride bikes and shoot, and taught Karen how to drive. Jim and Betty’s sons, George and Jim, Jr (Jennifer), of Nashville, have wonderful memories of their times spent with their Uncle Bill during spring break in Florida and many visits to the farm in Ohio.
Bill was a member of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church and a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. He was a long-time supporter of the Concord Community Center.
The family will have a private memorial service in Urbana next year. Those wishing to honor his memory should do so at a charity of their choice.
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