Bill Merle Walley

Bill Merle Walley, 88, passed away peacefully on February 8, 2024. Born in Richton, Mississippi on November 25, 1935, to George Wesley and Bessie Irving Walley. Bill was the youngest of six siblings, all of whom predeceased him. He is survived by Kristine, his loving wife of 42 years. He is also survived by his three children, Mary (Dave) Thrasher, Grant's Pass, Oregon, Phillip Walley, Long Beach, Ca, and Annette (Dennis) O'Brien, Oceanside, Ca, seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews in the South.

Graduating from Mississippi College in Jackson, with a degree in religious studies, Bill spent one college summer traveling through the Mississippi Delta with a pianist friend, Charles Beard, entering small towns without notice to set up Vacation Bible Schools for kids, and drawing in the backwoods parents in the evenings. Subsisting on pineapple sandwiches, bologna and canned beans, the two men set up tent revivals and baptisms in the river. They then moved to California, living in Willits and traveling Sundays and Wednesdays to lead a church in Ukiah. They also taught school in Ukiah, along with the now married Charles, before all three accepted teaching positions in San Jose. While teaching and administrating there, Bill earned his masters at Cal State University, Hayward.

Hired as the first executive Director for the Merced/Mariposa Uniserv Unit of the California Teachers Association (CTA) in 1974, he retired in 1998, continuing to do emeritus work for the next five years. A grass-roots organizer, he handled 21 chapters while serving as the primary political contact staff for the Central Valley and hosting numerous functions and open houses for local and state politicians.

Bill was an active Rotarian, serving in his communities of Merced, Ceres and Modesto, a Rotarian of the year in Ceres, and a past president in Modesto’s Gateway Rotary. In his spare time Bill loved visiting family and fishing along the San Francisco Bay, the Monterey Peninsula and Kauai. He loved to travel and cruise with Kris to Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska, and Europe, and enjoyed taking friends and family to their various timeshares. But always his greatest love was his faith. A long-time First Baptist and then Crosspoint Community Church member, Bill was among the first volunteer Visiting Chaplains created when Pastor Cliff Sexton retired. He also served on Pastor Whiteford’s prayer team until he became bedridden with dementia for the last two years. A special thanks goes to his wonderful caretakers at Renaissance Care Home in Modesto and Bristol Hospice, as well as the visiting chaplains from Crosspoint.

A celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, March 14th at 11 am, Crosspoint Community Church, 1301 12th St, Modesto, followed by a reception in the Social Hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Heart Association, 1 Almaden Blvd, Suite 550, San Jose, Ca 95113 of a charity of your choice.