William McKinley Reifel

William McKinley Reifel, age 64, passed away on December 31, 2022 after a hard-fought battle with multiple myeloma. Bill was born on June 20, 1958 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and moved to Bellevue with his family at the age of 6. Bill attended Bellevue High School and Whitman College and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.

He was the son of (Margaret) Jane Reifel and the late Dr. Edward Reifel M.D. and was predeceased by his brother John McCormick Reifel. Survivors include his wife Laura Doyle Reifel, daughter Adrienne Susan Reifel, son Dr. Austin Edward Reifel M.D., sister Susan Reifel McMullan, Susan’s husband Ralph McMullan, and Susan’s daughter Christine Goins.

Bill’s greatest loves were his family and being outdoors, especially on the water. Over time, he owned seven sailboats. He enjoyed going fast on Lake Washington in his Hobie 18 and cruising overnight on Puget Sound. Kayaking on peaceful waters was a frequent activity in the summer and he enjoyed bicycling on trails. He loved listening to AC/DC while sailing and then attending the opera later that day. He was a 25-year Seattle Opera ticket holder. He was also a lover of animals, particularly the family Border Collie, Zoom.

Bill’s children Adrienne and Austin were his greatest joys, and he was so proud of them. It meant a lot to him that they both became medical professionals and healers like his dad. Adrienne was an ICU RN and is now a doctoral student of anesthesia, while Austin is an MD. Bill was a proud fan of their alma maters: he rooted for the Huskies (Austin) and Cougars (Adrienne) with equal vigor.

Bill loved soccer as a kid and enjoyed coaching youth soccer for over seven years, at one point coaching three rec/club teams. In addition, Bill was a AAA Washington employee for over 20 years and was liked and respected by his coworkers.

Memorials may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Gone too soon.