Bill Maynard
June 1, 1952 - September 28, 2007
Obituary
Bill Maynard
Loving husband, father, and brother was born June 1, 1952 in Rapid City, SD and passed away September 28, 2007 in Federal Way, WA at the age of 55. Bill had previously worked for K-Mart for 23 years before joining the Highline School District where he has worked for the last 10 years. Bill was a strong family man and will be remembered for his great sense of humor. He loved restoring classic cars and was currently restoring a ’57 Chevy. Bill also loved music, and enjoyed playing his guitar and the piano. Bill is survived by his wife Nancy Maynard, son Tim Maynard and his fiancée Catherine Shin, daughter Kristina Maynard, sisters Estella Richard Evans and Dorothy Harry Hanson, his brother Clair Sue Maynard, Jr. and his cat Oreo. Visitation today, Tuesday 5:00 – 8:00pm at Bonney-Watson Federal Way, 1535 SW Dash Pt. Rd. 253 839-7317. Funeral Service Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 10:30am at Northwest Church, 34800 21st Ave. SW, Federal Way, WA 98023. A memorial has been established.
Dear Family,
What a gift Bill was to our family! His wit and humor were unsurpassed. He loved life and he lived life. Everyday he made others just as happy as he was. Aunt Helen and Uncle Clair will be so elated to have Bill with them. We all cherish our memories but will so miss his smile and the comfort he brought with his hugs. God Bless you all as you cope with what lies ahead. We love you and are here if we can help.
My prayers for all of Bill’s family during this difficult time. The gifts he has left behind are the wonderful memories that will go on forever. He now is in Heaven,with Christ, and all of the loved ones that have gone before him. Someday we will all be re-united again.
I worked with Bill as his assistant. He was the nicest person I have ever worked for. We used to have long talks about the kids and he always had something positive to say. Our conversation would always turn to his family and how proud he was of Tim and Kris. I will surely miss his smiling face walk in the office everyday. I know that he is with the Lord now and he will be greatly missed.
Bill was such a fun cousin to be around. He could make a room full of people laugh with his cleavernesand prangs. As I read some of the memories of the lifes he touched, I get a sense of pride knowing he was my cousin. Nancy and family know you are in our prayers as you begin the grieving process of such a great man. your loss is shared by many. Toinet Fisher Gibbons
I will hold Bill in my heart for as long as I live. He is one of my favorate people and I know he is in heaven with our loved ones who went before. I’ll see you again one day, cousin. You are so loved.
Uncle Bill,
You will be missed by many. You have touched so many lives in such a positive way. We love you so much. I have always loved you like a father and my kids love you like a grandfather. We will cherish forever the way you have touched our lives. I thank God that my children had the chance to form a very special bond that they will hold dear to them for all of their lives. We have loved you forever and your love and memories will be with us everyday until we meet again in heaven.
Nancy, Tim, and Kris
We love you all so much and wish you were all closer so we could be there for you. You are in our thoughts and prayers always. Please let us know if there is any thing that we can do, we are only a phone call away.
Love and God Bless,
John Mindy Johnathan Jake and Emilee
My thoughts are with his family in this tough time. I think it’s important to remember the impact he had on so many lives, mine included. I was one of his students in his very fist year at OSC in the Human Resource Management program. And I have him to thank for where I am today. I am still working in the field he taught me so much about. He also helped me network to get my first HR job. I am forever grateful for my time with him. He will be missed.
I was shocked to hear that Bill passed away. Bill and I went to junior high, high school, and college together. In fact, the last two years of college we commuted together from Rapid City. When we graduated from Black Hills State I was accepted into the management program at K-Mart. Soon after that Bill was accepted into the same program. K-Mart was not for me and I left K-Mart and enrolled in law school. I see from the obituary that Bill stayed with K-Mart for a number of years. I thought about Bill a number of times over the years; especially when I went by the home he grew up in here in Rapid City. I never knew what happened to Bill and I regret I didn’t investigate, find him, and renew our friendship. My heart-felt condolences are extended to his family.
Jerry Johnson
Thank you Bill for your dedication and hard work through the years. Your belief in the students of Highline District helped many kids become successful and confident people. Your kindness, humor and patience will always be an inspiration to all who had the privilege to know you.
I will miss our conversations and your visits to my class at Mt. Rainier High School to interview kids for the Steps to Success program. It was always a highlight of the year for all of us. The students respected you and knew you would help them no matter what. I will miss your smile, sense of humor and kind heart.
May God bless his family with peace, strength and love today and always.
You will be forever missed among your school district family and all the kids that you helped everyday.
What a shock when I Jim called and told me about Bill. When Bill was in Rapid he always came to see me and we had a good visit.I will miss his visits. He prepared a great dinner and took me to the airport. which i appreciated. What a great guy. My heartfelt sympathy to all. My prayers will be with you and may God watch over you.
Bill was amazing. He had a way of making you feel like the most important person in the world when you spoke to him. I really enjoyed working with him through the Steps to Success program. I enjoyed seeing his smiling face walk through Highline Medical Center on a regular basis. I always found him to be a “champion” for his students. He was a constant advocate for them. He was an amazing man and I will really miss him as a colleague and a friend.
Dear Bill’s family,
I’m sorry about Mr. Bill Maynard. I know what you throgh. I will miss him too, the most I will miss is his smile and how he was so kind to lots of people. My grandma passed away too. It reminds me of my grandma and how she died. I miss her so much so I know how you guys are feeling the same too. You guys will get through it just like I did.
From Jolynn Perkins
ACE High School
Dear Bill’s family,
My friends and I heard that Bill had died when we arrived at work on Monday. He was a good teacher. He always called us students and that made me feel like he really cared about us. We will miss him. I will pray for Bill and your family at night before I go to bed. Why did he have to die so soon? He taught me that we only have
one chance to live.
Sincerely, Arianna Miller from ACE High School.
i feel sad about Bill Maynard. He passed on Friday. WE will miss you Bill.
from
Jacob McLane, ACE High School
Bill was one of my favorite teachers and was an inspiration to me. He took a special interest in my circumstances and helped to recieve a two years scholarship to college. I think of him often and had always had the intension of going to visit him. I know that the sadness I feel for that doesn’t even compare to the feelings the family will have. Just know that he made a difference in so many lives because he was who he was.
Knowing Bill has made me a better person. For many years I have looked forward to “that time of the year” when Bill and his students would arrive at the hospital. Bill’s sense of humor, kindness and compassion for both patients and students make him unforgettable.
I never saw bill without a smile, and I never heard him voice anything negative.
Thoreau said, “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor”. I believe Bill applied this to himself and lived it for his students. He led by example and I will miss him.
I appreciate Bill’s cheerful and positive spirit. He was so wonderful with a student that I worked with. She had a very serious neurological disorder and he was very kind to her.
Carol Howard
I went to class across t he way from Where Bill taught. Even though he was not my teacher, I still saw him everyday, he always smiled at me and asked me how I was doing. He made me feel alive when I felt invisible, he made me smile even when I was having the worst of days. I love you Bill, you touched my heart, and that means t he world to me. I will never forget you. My condolences to the family. He’s with God now, and I’m sure is looking down on us all with a smile.
Thanks for being one of the best teachers ever!!!
You will forever be missed.
Rest In Peace
– Miranda & Tony
For nearly 50 years I called Bill my friend. It was not until I was told he had passed away that I realized how lucky I was to have known such a great person. From our days as kids on Cleveland St. to our last phone call a few days ago, Bill always had a smile on his face and joy in his voice, both of which he shared with everyone. He will be sorely missed
I worked with Bill he was the one person at a meeting that was always pleasant and smiling he will be missed.So sorry for your family,take care of each other.
There were always an abundance of Kids of all sizes and ages together at Grandma Griffiths’place. Griffiths, Fishers, Maynards, Samuelsons,and Brunos’. Seems we were so close then but as we get older we are spead farther and farther apart geographicly. It makes it hard to get together. We last saw Billy and Nancy at Darrels on their waqy to Watertown S.D. Funny how all those cousins managed to turn into such responsible and upstanding adults, even Billy Allen. Heaven will be a Happier place with him there. We will all miss him, and look forward to joining him there, let me know if there is anything I can do to help you. Sam
Dear Nancy and family,
We are saddened to hear the news of your loss. Bill was too young to leave us this soon. I remember Bill as a young child and he was always happy.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time.
The Bob Maynard family
Kris and the Maynard family,
Words always seem so hollow at times like this, Just know that my thoughts go out to you and your family at this time of loss.
Sending you our love,
Debbra, Rick, Miranda and Matthew
Bill was like myself in that we both had careers outside of education. We both believed that a most important part of school was to find something you like to do and then find a way to get paid to do it.
Bill’s internship and placement program was something I really wanted to work with this November when my football coaching commitment is over. I hope to help in any way that I can to keep his program going as a memorial to his great work.
Tim & Family-
I am so sorry to hear of the sudden loss of your dad. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and the rest of your family. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
I had the privilege of working with Bill at OSC. He continued to be a frequent visitor to OSC after he went to work for steps. I will miss his sense of humor. He always could make us smile. Bill helped many students and he will be greatly missed.
You are all in my prayers.
Marilyn McDowell Conger
Bill was a wonderful advocate for kids and left a legacy of success stories!. He was a lot of fun while here at OSC, I especially remember he and Lou Halko and their antics in the staff room…they always drew a crowd just to hear them laugh and having a good time! What a great guy…he will be missed by all!
Bill was just beginning his work with six of our ILC students…I had the honor of working in the STEPS classroom twice a week with him to support the students’ learning….he had a gift for kids…my thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Bill’s wife and family,
I had the priviledge of working with Bill when he would come to Highline HS to meet with the students. His joy of life and great sense of humor always made my day. He will be greatly missed by many and the world is a little less bright with the loss.
Carey Gannaw
Tim, Kris, Nancy and family ~ Bill was such a great person whom I am honored to have met. Always so generous, happy and full of laughter; he will be missed greatly. Bill make some fajitas in Heaven, you’ll have no problem making friends =. Tim, please do not hesitate to call me for ANY reason, whatsoever!
I worked with Bill at Woodside. Last year was my first year as teacher of the Teen Parentig Program and Bill and I shared several students. Bill was so kind and helpful to me, especially in our isolated location. He would stop by almost every week to see how I was doing and talk about students and teaching strategies. He worked so well with my teen moms, encouraging them and supporting them above and beyond! Several of my students remarked that he really made a difference in their lives! His students often had many challenges and his compassion and encouragement will have a lasting impact in their lives. He was such an incredible person and will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with all the family on this tragic loss.
Bill was one of the greatest teachers a person could ask for. He was always ready and willing to support and encourage his students to overcome obstacles and strive for goals. Especially so when this was needed the most, whether his students realized or agreed with this at the time or not. He was able to encourage and teach in an effective manner, as he had the best attitude and sense of humor a person could ask for. When I felt trapped as a young teen mother, doomed for a dead end job and life, he gave the the tools and encouragement necessary to move forward. That type of commitment and support cannot be repaid, and I will always appreciate and be forever gratefull to him for this. He will be missed by many.
Dear Maynard Clan,
We’re so sorry to hear about Bill. Or Billy, as it was back in the day. I see a lot of people remember him today like I remember him. He was the older cousin that was always happy and smiled a lot. It actually seemed like he liked us younger cousins! There’s not enough people like that. I am glad some of our family got a chance to see him this past summer at Clair’s retirement party. Please accept our condolences.
Sincerely,
LoisSamuelsonNewton & family
Nancy,
I know that God is with you and your family now and He certainly has his arms around Bill.
I woked with Bill through the Voc. Ed. dept. and as a mentor to his students while in the Substitute office from 1999-2005.
Bill’s a wonderful individual and unique educator. He had a special gift with the young stundents in his class. He was compasionate to their circimstances, inovative with ideas to help and grieved deeply when they chose poorly.
Bill has touched many lives, mine included. We are all just a little better for having known him, thank you for sharing.
I know of a few students currently at OSC that were deeply affected to hear of Bills passing. They many not know how to relay their caring to you but their grief says it all. One Bill helped get a job, others he helped with learning how to have good decision making skills which, thanks to him, will help them for the rest of their lives.
Keep the faith and God Bless you and yours from me and mine.
Respectfully,
Jill Godina and Family
We will miss Bill greatly. He has been a great friend and pleasue to have as a neighbor. He was a jokester and always made us laugh! My prayers and condolances go out to his wonderful family.
So sorry to hear about your loss. I know that be made a difference in the lives of many students in the Steps to Success program.
My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.
I was shocked to read of Bill’s death. We spent our Freshman year at BHSC in the hole of Winona Cook Hall, where we spent hours goofing off , and “Willie” teaching me how to play the guitar. When we really got wound up, His laugh and expressions on his face were incredible. Thought of him often and always hoped to meet up again. Guess thats all up to God now. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. and may Gods Peace be with you.
Bill was a dedicated advicate for his students his passion inspired all to give his “kids” a chance. I will truly miss him.
Steve
Dear Bill’s Family,
Thank you for sharing this fine man with our community. Working with Bill at both OSC and Steps programs through the WBL Advisory board from 1997 – 2006 was a wonderful experience. Bill always had a smile on his face and a kind word. My most vivid memories include the many occasions conducting student “mock interviews” in his classroom. He truly cared and listened to his students and they respected him for his gentle nature and his quick wit. He will be deeply missed by students and professionals alike.
Bill’s wife and family
sorry about your loss. I was a student of his. I knew him for 3 years. I will miss his sence of humor and smile.
I was a teacher at Highline Children’s Center where students were placed from the Steps to Success Program . After the childcare closed in 2002, I transfered to the Teen Parent Childcare. I read in the Highline Times this morning that a student that was placed in my class, passed away in Sept. I thought of Bill and how he had passed away suddenly, and at a young age. (my age now). I googled his name and just finished reading all of the wonderful words friends and relatives wrote five years ago about Bill. Bill always had a smile on his face and cared about the students. Sometimes he would sit on the little chairs at the little tables and talk or play with the preschool age children in my class. That is how I will always remember Bill Maynard.