Bill Waite

Wilbur Warner "Bill" Waite was born August 9, 1929 in Eugene, OR to Warner C. and Ella Grace Waite.  He was the youngest of their eight children. Bill grew up on the family dairy owned by his father, east of Cushman on the Siuslaw River.  He graduated from Siuslaw High School and went on to attend Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland.  After one year of college he came home to help his father with the family dairy.

In 1972, his father retired and sold the dairy.  The family moved to Florence, OR where Bill did maintenance for Pacific Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery.  In 1977, he moved to Milwaukie, OR where he became an integral part of Stehn Family Funeral Homes. Bill was a very loyal partner in the business from the very beginning. Working closely with the owners Robert and Sandy Stehn, Bill enjoyed all facets of the funeral business; everything from working on the grounds and landscaping to helping a family. He was dedicated to providing meaningful service to those families he served for 30 years, retiring in 2007.

Bill had a love for music, travel, flowers, photography, the color red and collecting clocks.  He went on many trips with the Philadelphians Group Tours and other tour groups where he formed many friendships along the way. He took several trips to the Holy Land went to Canada, Hells Canyon, Disneyland and various other locations.  During which he took many photographs of his adventures.

Bill played the piano and the organ.  He loved Broadway Musicals and had season tickets to Broadway In Portland for many years.  He enjoyed singing in the choir at church and attended many church concerts that his friends invited him to.  His favorite movie was the Sound of Music.

While he did not eat seafood, Bill loved to go clam digging and fishing whenever he was at the coast.  His sister-in-law would always make him her clam chowder, which Bill always said was the best, but was the only seafood he would eat. He would never turn down a piece of lemon meringue pie or Tebo's strawberry shortcake either.

Bill spent his last 8 years at King Road Adult Care Home, where Lucica and John Muresan and family took wonderful care of him.

He is survived by one sister, Betty Jean Waite of Brookings, OR; many nieces and nephews and his family at Stehn Family Funeral Homes.  Bill will be greatly missed by all that knew him!