Bill was born October 21, 1936 in McCook, Nebraska to Floyd and Alice Noreen Cahill. In 1954, he graduated from West High School in Denver, CO. During high school, he sang in the choir and was part of the Singing Christmas Tree (see Wikipedia). After graduation, Bill briefly attended the University of Colorado before beginning a 36-year career as a building engineer for Mountain Bell/U S West.
Bill married Margarete Sherrellene “Char” on December 11, 1954. Char also worked at Mountain Bell, until she became a full time homemaker and mom to their two daughters. They were married for 63 years and lived in Denver and Lakewood before moving to Greeley. Bill took an early retirement offer from U S West and woodworking became a favorite hobby in his retirement. Additionally, he volunteered for the Greeley Stampede and was an 18-plus year volunteer for the Northern Colorado Medical Center/Northern Colorado Medical Foundation, volunteering over 12,000 hours in that time. He was also a frequent blood donor.
Surviving are Bill’s daughters, Debbie (Gary) Hahnenkamp and Diane (Bobby) McLaughlin; grandchildren Ryan Countryman, Brett (Erica Arteaga) Hahnenkamp, Cody Countryman, Paige (Stephen Woodruff, Jr.) Hahnenkamp and Grant (Reiley Altenborg) Hahnenkamp; great-grandchildren Isabelle and Alison Hahnenkamp, Laney and Brooks Woodruff and Layla Hahnenkamp; sister Judy Bader and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins.
In addition to his parents, Bill was predeceased by his wife, Char, on September 10, 2018, two brothers and two sisters.
A memorial service will be held Friday, May 6, at 1:00 p.m. at Stoddard Funeral Home, followed by a reception at the same location. The address is 3205 W. 28th Avenue, Greeley, CO.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to LUNGevity Foundation, 228 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60604, COPD Foundation, 3300 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Miami, FL 33134, or NCMC Foundation, 815 8th Ave., Greeley, CO 80631.
