Mr. William "Bill" Charles Smith

Mr. William Charles Smith was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Bill was born on November 2, 1945 at Good Samaritian Hospital in Portland, Oregon. His parents were John and Thelma Smith. Bill was raised in Portland. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Smith household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Bill was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Bill was raised with two siblings. He had 2 younger sisters, Barbara and Linda. Bill was constantly involved in activities with his sisters. William and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Bill was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Bill was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Bill developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Bill took part in football and baseball. In his spare time he liked playing with chemistry sets, ride bikes and collect baseball cards. However, what Bill enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Bill as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from David Douglas High School in 1963. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was chemistry. Bill's memorable achievements included being a member and co-founder of the Barrons; a social club. Bill was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Bill always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Bill was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Bill was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Bill to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Bob Goff, Rick Cage, Ernie Cree and John Schmidt. Later in life, he became friends with Stan Talent, Jim Thurman and Bruce Johnson.

On November 30th, 1963 Bill exchanged wedding vows with Cheryl Christine Dyer at the Kernpark Christian Church of Portland, Oregon. Compassionate and devoted to Cheryl, Bill held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Cheryl and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Bill brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Bill was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Bill was blessed with four children, one son, Jeff and three daughters, Jackie, Jennifer and Julieann. They were also blessed with Seven, Brandon, Kelci, Justin, Brittney, Joshua, Skyler and Navaya.

Bill greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. William enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Bill was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was cheif bottle maker. He was employed for 35 years at Owens Brockway. Bill worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Bill liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Bill always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were gardening, following the news and casino gaming. Bill was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Bill found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, William played football. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football and basketball.

Many organizations were grateful to have Bill as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Bill was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. In high school, Bill was a member of the Barron, a social club.

Bill was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. As a child, he was a member of Faith Baptist Church but as an adult, he preferred to worship in the outdoors. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Bill enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Bill appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Bill always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Reno, Nevada and the Oregon Coast.

Bill was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Bill’s favorites was Haley, a German Shepherd and Collie mix. They were best friends for 10 years. His family was rounded out by his cat named Punkin.

When Bill's retirement finally arrived in 2004, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved staying in Portland, Oregon. In retirement, he found new pleasure in being able to spend more time with his family. Even in retirement, Bill continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Mr. William "Bill" Charles Smith passed away on April 20, 2010 at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. He was battling cancer but passed awas suddenly from a brain aneurysum. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, daughters, Jackie & Julieann, sister, Linda and father, John along with his 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Services were held at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Mr. William "Bill" Charles Smith. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

OBITUARY

William Charles Smith, a resident of Fairview, Oregon, died on April 20, 2010 in Gresham. He was 64 years of age.

Bill was born on November 2, 1945 in Portland, Oregon and was the son of John and Thelma (Leonard) Smith. He graduated from David Douglas High School in 1963 and on November 30, 1964, he married Cheryl Dyer at the Kern Park Christian Church in Portland.

Bill worked for the Gas Company for a while and also AB Smith’s Chevrolet in Portland. In 1969, he found his permanent career with Owens Illinois, now know as Owens Brockway. He was a foreman and Chief Bottle Maker for 33 years. He retired in 2002.

Bill resided in the Portland Area his entire life. He was raised and educated there, raised his family there and also worked there. He moved to Fairview in 2005 and resided there until his death.

Bill had many hobbies in life. He enjoyed traveling to Reno and gambling at the casinos. He also enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping and spending long family weekends at their cabin. Bill was a nice guy to everyone. He was a hard worker with high work ethics and was an example of the joy hard work could bring you. Bill was a problem solver, a great listener, a news junkie and extremely intelligent. He also played guitar in his free time and always reminisced about play with the Kingsmens before they became famous. He was the original guitarist and always joked “He was that close to fame.” The most important thing in Bill’s life truly was his family. He was a devoted husband, a nurturing parent, the greatest grandpa and the best big brother. He simply adored spending time with his family and they truly adored him.

Bill is survived by his wife, Cheryl of Fairview, daughters, Jackie Kysor of Fairview, Julieann Smith of Fairview, father, John Smith of Gresham and sister, Linda Glisson of Gresham along with 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. His mother, Thelma, daughter, Jennifer Friesen, son, Jeffery Smith, sister, Barbara Billingsley and grandchildren, Brittney Friesen and Joshua Friesen all preceded him in death.

A Celebration of Bill’s Life will be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 2:00 pm at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home. Contributions may be made in memory of Bill to the Multiple Myeloma Association.