William Russell Strand

William Russell Strand, 74, died in Salt Lake City, UT on June 6, 2019, of complications from burn injuries he sustained in an accident in his Richland, Oregon apartment on May 30, 2019.

William (known as “Bill” to his California family and friends, and known as “Russell” or “Haho” by his parents, siblings, and his Oregon friends) is survived by sons Ron (Erin) Strand of Ridgecrest, CA, and Kevin Strand of Stockton, CA; daughters Kathy (Mike) Van Cleve of Rancho Mission Viejo, CA, and Cindy (Paul) Bennett of Dublin, OH; grandchildren Alex (Kathleen) Bennett, Ashley (Brian) McNamara, Amanda Strand, Forrest (Allison) Strand, Storm Rapone, Autumn Strand, Jevyn and Gavin Van Cleve, and Solveig Bremer; great-grandchildren Aiden, Jade, Hunter, Hayden, and Connor; brothers Dennis (Darlene) Beam and Greg Beam; sisters Becky Lawrie and Stephanie (Eric) Peterson; and brother-in-law Stanley (Kim) Nelson, and nephews Steve (Alexx) Nelson and Stanley (Veronica) Nelson. He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Beverly Jean Strand, and his parents, William Russell Strand, Sr., Joan Beam, Martin Beam, and Arbelyn Beam.

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William Russell Strand was born on March 28, 1945, in Eckville, Alberta, Canada, to Joan (Darlington) Strand. His father, William Russell Strand, Sr., a World War II airman in the Royal Canadian Air Force, had tragically died just weeks prior during a bombing mission over Germany. In 1948 his mother remarried to Martin Beam, the man whom William called his father. His parents had four more children and while growing up the family lived at times in both Oregon and Washington State. In 1961, William’s mother died at the age of 42 from postoperative complications, which devastated the family. In 1964, after graduating from Eagle Valley High School in Richland, Oregon, William joined the Marine Corps. He served from 1964-1968, 13 months of which was spent in Vietnam.

In 1968, William was stationed at El Toro Marine Base in California, where he met his wife of 48 years, Beverly Jean (Nelson) Strand, who had two children of her own. Following his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, the two married on July 10, 1968, and ultimately settled in Santa Ana, California. He raised Beverly’s children, Cindy and Ron, as his own, and together they had twins, Kathy and Kevin. From 1969 to 1993, William worked as a warehouseman for Baxter Hospital Supply. However, in 1993, on his way to work, William was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, which left him permanently disabled and into an early retirement.

Around the same time, William and Beverly relocated to Adelanto, California, where they lived together until 2016, when Beverly died after a long battle with gallbladder cancer. Upon her death, it was William’s greatest wish to return to Oregon. He relocated to Richland, Oregon in the fall of 2016 where he could be near to his brother Dennis (Darlene). He visited with his family, both in Oregon and in California, but spent the remainder of his days close to the land of Richland, hunting and fishing with his brother, Dennis.

William loved the outdoors. Before his 1993 accident, William travelled to Alaska every summer to work (very hard!) on his brothers’ (Dennis and Greg) commercial fishing boats. When he was no longer able to work, he and Beverly spent their summers camping in the Sierra Nevada. They were often accompanied by their children and grandchildren, and extended family. William was a proud Vietnam Veteran and a lifelong member of the VFW. He loved fishing and hunting, spending time with his family, and watching sports (a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers). He was dearly loved and will be missed.

We are deeply grateful to the wonderful doctors, nurses, and hospital staff of the University of Utah Burn Center, who provided excellent care and loving support for William and his family.

A funeral is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2019, 10:00am at Fairhaven Memorial Park Mortuary in Santa Ana, CA, with burial to follow. A reception will follow at the home of Kathy and Mike Van Cleve. Flowers and condolences may be sent to Fairhaven Memorial Park Mortuary, 1702 Fairhaven Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705.