William G. "Bill" Vessels Jr.

Born on May 26, 1933, in Louisville, KY; Bill grew up in both Louisville and Meade Co., ultimately graduating from High School at St. Martin of Tours in Flaherty, where he was known for his jokes and playing basketball and baseball. He excelled at the first and last of these, the middle one not so much. A gifted enough baseball player that he left his freshman year of college to try his hand at the minor leagues, he learned there that neither baseball nor college were in his future. He served for a time in the Army during the Korean conflict.

In 1955, Bill married the love of his life and mother to his six children, Mary Agnes Redmon. In addition to being a devoted husband and father, Bill worked a number of jobs over the course of his life including taverner at his family’s beer joint in Flaherty; and from the 1960s on, a number of positions at Jeffboat. Beginning there as a welder, Bill eventually made his way to foreman and ultimately as Manager of Labor Relations for the company where he made admiring enemies of company lawyers and yard workers alike. In his leisure time he was for years an avid participant at regional auctions and enjoyed refinishing the furniture that often came from such.

His work at Jeffboat was instrumental in seeing it through some difficult years in the late-1970s and mid-1980s. He ultimately retired from the job he loved so much in 1995. In his retirement, he devoted his time to gardening, teaching himself to trade stocks, the Church, keeping tabs on his often far-flung children and the ever-growing brood of grandchildren, writing witty emails and poetry, and mostly his wife Mary.

Bill Vessels was an affable man who was also, in equal measure, direct, scrupulous, honest, and demanding of himself and those around him. He loved baseball, books, steamed kale with apple cider vinegar and raw onion, cornbread in milk, salt in his beer, Elvis Presley, his friends, and most of all his wife and family. Though opinions of him sometimes varied depending on the circumstances and the person who held them; after meeting him, no one ever said that he made them wish the dinosaurs had won.

He is survived by his six children and their spouses, 15 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers or other remembrances, please donate to your favorite charity.

Visitation will take place at Kraft Funeral Services at 708 E. Spring St, New Albany, IN on Thursday, October 12 from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm with the Rosary, Prayers and sharing of memories starting at 6:15pm.

The Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, October 13 at 10:30am at St Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church at 415 East 8th Street, New Albany, IN.

Burial will follow at St Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Flaherty, KY, 440 Saint Martin Road, Vine Grove, KY.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kraftfuneralservice.net for the Vessels family.