He graduated from East High School in Wichita. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served from 1943 through 1945 during World War II as quartermaster on the submarine USS Bluefish. After the war, he attended Wichita University (now Wichita State). He played quarterback for WU football and was a member of Phi Upsilon Sigma fraternity. Most importantly he met Shirley Fisher, also from Wichita. After graduating with a Bachelors in Business Management, Bill married Shirley in 1949. They were married for 55 years.
After a short career as an insurance adjuster in Parsons and Wichita, KS, Bill moved his family to Oklahoma City in 1954 to be manager at Lady Classen Cafeteria. In 1973 Bill and Shirley purchased Lady Classen. Bill served on the Board of Directors and also as President of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association. Retiring in 1994, Bill and Shirley closed Lady Classen’s doors.
Bill is survived by his sister Eleanor Kinkaid of Wichita, Kansas, children Connie (Fred) Fehr, Tom (Melanie) Geist, John (Yvonne) Geist, (Cindy) Geist, and Carol (Tim) Shanahan, grandchildren Casey, Nicholas, Danny, Charla, Justin, Mariah, Gregory, Nikki, Bryan, Suzanne, Candace, and Michael, as well as twenty-five great grandchildren. Bill is also survived by nieces and nephews Bob Geist, Carolyn Coulter, Margie Tilma, Tom Kinkaid, Susan Williams, Marcia Smola, Gary Fisher, Bryan Fisher, Charles Fisher, Dan Fisher, and Jeff Fisher.
He was preceded in death by parents Floyd and Ola, brother Merle, wife Shirley, and son Jim.
Bill enjoyed being with family and friends and always had a great story to share, especially if it was about sports. He took great interest in his children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends and had a way of making you feel you were the most important and loved person in the room.
A private, family-only service will be held at 3:30 p.m., Friday, February 26, 2021 at All Souls’ Episcopal Church. The service will be live-streamed for guests to join at Facebook.com/Allsoulsokc.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation in his honor to the Oklahoma Hospitality Foundation student scholarship fund or to a fund for Oklahoma restaurant employee relief. https://www.okrestaurants.com/make_a_donation.php
