William Joseph Steele passed away on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno. He passed peacefully to join his wife Esther, who died on February 14, 2012 and his daughter Helen who died on September 5, 2012. He was born in Fresno on April 2, 1926 and lived his entire life here.
He attended St. Alphonsus elementary school and Washington Union High School. While in high school, he played football and was in the marching band. Later in life, he helped plan the high school class reunions with his former classmates.
"Bill," as he was known to family and friends, was a WW II U. S. Army veteran serving in the 11th Airborn Paratrooper Division. He was stationed in Japan and the Philippines.
Esther and Bill were married for 62 years before her passing. They honeymooned in Morro Bay and the area remains a familiar vacation spot for the entire family. Bill had three milestone birthday parties on the Tiger's Folly that were joyful gatherings. Bill and Esther hosted many family parties and gatherings at their house all remembered fondly by family and friends.
Bill provided for his family doing road construction and was a member of the Operating Engineers Local Union 3 for 55 years. He spent most of those years as a foreman and owned a construction company at one time. Bill was an avid gardener growing summer and winter vegetables. He passed on his love for cooking and barbequing to his children. Other favorite things were fishing, hunting and playing cards with his brothers Dick and his wife Ruth and Chuck and his wife Ginny.
He follows his two older brothers Richard and Charles who passed away previously.
William is survived by his seven children and their spouses and partners, Gerri and Al Castillo, Bill and Shannon Steele, Georgia and Ron Wells, Tom Steele and Christina Gamble, son-in-law Vito Angiuli, and Chrissy Steele-Dillard and Randy Dillard all of Fresno, Cathy and Jimmy Logan of El Monte and Lorraine Steele and Laurie Willis of Oakland. He is survived by his nine grandchildren, Eric, Adam, Laura, Deidra, Maura, Audra and her fiancé Karim, R. J., Bridgette and Nicholas; and great granddaughter Alia. Bill will be greatly missed by his extended family of sisters, Rosemary, Cecelia, Therese, Geraldine, Jeanie and Phyllis; his brother, John; and many nieces and nephews.
Recitation of the Holy Rosary and a Memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church on Friday, February 22, 2013 at 1:00 pm.
Remembrances can be donated in William J. Steele's name to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Fresno, 149 N Fulton St. Fresno, CA 93701, or PINC (Philanthropy Inspired By Needs of Our Community) at: http://www.pincfresno.org/.
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