William Robert Bocks

William (Bill) Robert Bocks, born October 22, 1957, in Detroit, Michigan, to Virgil and Alice (Firth) Bocks, passed away on October 27, 2024. With a heart full of compassion and selflessness, Bill devoted many years to caring for his mother and throughout his life demonstrated his commitment to his family and to the hundreds of friends and relatives he loved. He enjoyed life to the fullest and he enjoyed life his way.

Bill loved nature and the outdoors and especially enjoyed fly fishing, hunting, tennis, bicycling, kayaking canoeing and photography. His passion for the outdoors often took him to Colorado to visit his brother and his brother’s family, where they shared many adventures amidst the Rocky Mountains. He also loved spending time fly fishing with his two brothers, his nephew Tim, and his Colorado fishing buddies and spent lots of time (but never enough) on their annual fly-fishing expeditions. Bill, alongside his brother Steve, took great pride in volunteering to help young kids appreciate the art of fly fishing at the annual fly-fishing expo in Michigan.

Bill was a sports enthusiast, an avid fan of the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, and spent lots of time playing tennis with some special friends and viewing tennis tournaments on the tube.

Bill’s memory will be forever cherished by his many friends and relatives and his two brothers, Steve and Dave and Dave’s wife Gay, his nephews, Tim and Erik and Erik’s wife Sarah; and his great-niece and nephew, Arya and James Bocks, and Gay’s sister Joy and her husband Rick. His colleagues at J.H. Bennett & Co., where he worked for 37 years, were like a second family to him and his love of his work family and the customers they served was a big part of the life he enjoyed every day.

He was preceded in death by his beloved parents Alice and Virgil. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in both Michigan and Colorado. Arrangements are now being made and will be announced as soon as possible. Bill will be remembered for his gentle spirit, his love of family and nature, and his generous heart that touched so many.

Any donations in Bill’s memory can be made to The Anglers of the Au Sable at https://ausableanglers.org/donate/#!form/Donate