Born in Grand Island, NE to Clarence H. and Frances Fuller Dilla, Bill lived the majority of his life in the Portland area. Moving from Fargo, ND in 1951. He established roots in Portland and graduated in 1962 from David Douglas High School. He married Merrie Lee Cummings in 1963; they raised three children and later divorced. In 1985, Bill married Kathleen Albers Finley. He found his niche as a Licensed Contractor specializing in residential and light commercial remodeling throughout the metropolitan area. He retired from his company, Dilla Construction Co. in 2008, a span of 46 years.
Bill’s passions were his family, work, boating, fishing and hunting, watching television and snoozing. He was an avid sportsman in youth and early adulthood. After a bout with cancer in 1989, Bill was busy with activities at St. Pius X Catholic Church, and served on the Pastoral Council for a number of years. He co-chaired the “Vision of Ministry” building campaign in the mid-1990s. In 1997, Bill began his “volunteer” career with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Program until his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease necessitated his resignation. He left the program in 2004 as the program’s first Reserve Lieutenant.
Bill is survived by his wife of 33 years, Kathleen; sons Darren (Joellen), and Kevin (Joan) Dilla; daughter, Tracie Dilla-Chetwood; and stepsons Mike (Jennifer) and Robert Finley (Cindy March); ten grandchildren, Aaron (Bethany), Lindsay, Kayla (Todd), and Jacob, Kelcie Riba, and Kamryn Chetwood; and Sean (Stephanie), Alec, Elise, and McKenna Finley; great-grandchildren Bella, Lola, Jude, and Ana, sister, Janice Castle and nephew, Ryan Castle of Vancouver, WA.
A funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. at Finley Sunset Hills Mortuary.
Burial will take place immediately following the service at Finley Sunset Hills Cemetery, and will be followed by a reception/luncheon in the Community Room at Finley Sunset Hills Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bills’ name to the Washington County Reserve Program.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18