Bill R. Sells

Bill was a very likeable guy. He was a compassionate and caring person who made an impact with every individual he met. He tried to make the best of things in any given situation. He was easy going and tried to approach every situation with a smile. Bill enjoyed many things throughout his life. He loved animals, the weather, cars, tools, and fixing things. He was very handy. He could fix just about anything.

Bill was born on May 12, 1946 in Solano County, in Vacaville, California. His parents were Jim and Verna Sells. Bill was raised in Placerville, California but, later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Bill had four siblings. He has two younger brothers, Ronnie and Danny Sells and two younger sisters, Susie Sells Mayhall and Linda Sells McGuire.

Bill graduated from Western High School in 1965. His favorite classes were woodshop and auto mechanics. In addition to his educational studies, he also took part in running track. He was first in his class in both woodshop and auto mechanics, which he later utilized in his career.

Starting at a young age, Bill was taught by his parents to be warm, caring and friendly to everyone. He demonstrated these qualities all throughout his life and taught his two children to do the same. He was determined, hard-working, and never let life’s struggles get him down which afforded him the respect of others. He always greeted every person he met with “Howdy”. He loved engaging with others in conversation, and because of his laid- back personality, it made it easy for others to share their lives with him too. While growing up, one of his best friends was Larry Mayhall. Later in life, he became close friends with Bruce Laino, Scott Harting, John Karp, and Charles Hicks.

Bill was an Army Veteran. He was stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia. During his service he received several awards which consisted of the National Defense Service Medal, Mechanic Badge with Bar, and M14 Rifle Specialist. He was active duty in the Army for four years, and after completing his term he spent four additional years as an Army reservist.

On October 9, 1977 Bill exchanged wedding vows with Connie Lovat at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness in Washington, Pennsylvania. After exchanging their vows, they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to begin building their lives together as a newly married couple.

On December 7, 1978, Bill and Connie were blessed with their first child, Alisa. A few years later they welcomed their second child, Jessica on October 26, 1981. As the years past and their two daughters grew into young adults, Bill and Connie accepted their first son-in- law Brandon Hanks into their family on December 1, 2001 when their eldest daughter Alisa married. On September 21, 2001 Bill and Connie became grandparents to their first grandson, Austin Thomas Hanks. A couple years later after welcoming Austin to the family, they were pleasantly surprised with the news of the birth of their first granddaughter Ashley Erin Hanks on July 20, 2003. On June 25,2004, Bill and Connie accepted their second son-in-law Ricky Martinez to their family. On September 2,2010 Bill and Connie welcomed their third grandson Nolen John Martinez. Bill loved sharing his life with his family. He enjoyed family barbecues and pool time with his grandkids. He loved hearing the laughter of his grandkids when they were having fun and got a kick out of their silly behavior. He was always happy to see them smile.

In his spare time, he liked camping, fishing, and swimming. When he was younger, he enjoyed water skiing and off roading in his Bronco. He also enjoyed traveling and taking short road trips to some of his favorite places such as Knott’s Berry Farm, the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal park, Solvang and Cracker Barrel in St. George, Utah.

Bill’s primary occupation was Facilities Maintenance for Nevada Power Company. Over the course of time that he spent working for Nevada Power Company, Bill expanded his education and expertise in his field when he obtained a Johnson Controls Operator and EIS Lighting Education degree. After he retired from Nevada Power Company, he occupied his time working for various companies such as Shelton Battery, Lamb’s Pharmacy, Home Depot, and Costco. Throughout the course of his working years, he came to develop many lasting friendships with those he worked with. Although he valued dedication to hard and meaningful work, he also enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. Bill believed that you had to experience life, and his life in retirement was no different. He liked designing and building things for his home, for his family, and others. Naturally outgoing and generous, for him, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, he was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life and for his generosity.

Bill loved animals and cherished his pets. He enjoyed them almost as much as he enjoyed being around people. One of his favorite animals was an Irish Setter dog named Penny. They were best friends for seven years. In addition to Penny, he also was very close to his cats whose names were Muffin, Bean, Tuxie, and Max.

Bill loved to watch the weather channel. He loved to learn about climate change and its impact on society. Just another funny little quirk of his was to update everyone about the day’s weather forecast.

Bill passed away on July 14, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He fought a brave battle against heart disease. He is survived by his wife, Connie, his daughters, Alisa and Jessica, his son’s-in-law Brandon, and Ricky, his grandchildren, Austin, Ashley, and Nolen.

Bill brought joy to all of those around him. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm for all the things he enjoyed throughout his life with his family and friends. Bill lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. Bill recognized that his faith in Jehovah was important to him. He was a baptized servant of Jehovah and believed in the reassurance of everlasting life. He will be lovingly remembered with a smile and will be dearly missed by all.

Services will be held for Bill Sells at Palm Northwest Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 30th and 31st. The viewing is scheduled for Monday July 30th at 3:00 pm-7:00 pm. The funeral services will be held on Tuesday July 31st at 10:00 am with the burial to follow at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada.