November 1, 1950 – January 8, 2019
William Joseph “Bill” Greer entered the Kingdom of Heaven on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 after a long, brave and courageous battle to recover from a horrific car crash while also confronting colon cancer. He handled these challenges with unbelievable strength, dignity and grace; his courage and tenacity are greatly admired by friends and a legacy to his family.
Bill was met at the gates of Heaven by his oldest daughter, Angela Marie; his loving mother, Joan Louise Walls; his stepfather, Zeno Walls; grandmother, Ruth Jones; and numerous members of his extended family. He is survived by his devoted wife of almost 39 years, Mary; his son, Kellen; daughter, Tarah; grandson, Samuel Dunford; sisters Michele Walls and Amy Casady; niece Lisa Sears (Josh) and their sons, Kai and Asher; uncle Ronald Bennett (Vivian); and numerous cousins. He also leaves behind the much loved members of his four-legged family. Bill was loved by all and will be sadly missed but thought of lovingly and often.
After graduation from Oak Ridge High School, Bill went to work for the Miller Machine Company in Orlando as a runner and customer service rep. Soon after, he joined the workforce at Florida Gas Transmission which later became Peoples Gas. This move became a catalyst as his career in the natural gas industry took off. Starting as a laborer and then a welder after attending technical school, Bill was at the time the President of the Ironworkers Local. He was then promoted to Manager of Propane Operations at Peoples Gas in Orlando. After many years in Orlando, Bill was recruited by Teco Energy to work for them as a third party gasline inspector. He seemed to find his niche here and spent many years traveling throughout the state of Florida and the southeast on pipeline construction, large and small. He loved what he did and was highly respected in his field. Sadly, his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident in April 2017.
Bill and Mary married in 1980, settling in the quaint town of Goldenrod and became the parents of Kellen and Tarah. In 1991, they built their dream home on a small piece of property on the outskirts of Ocoee and the charm of country living began. The rural life agreed with the family, which grew to include numerous cats, dogs and horses over the years. As a family, they made many road trips to the mountains of North Carolina for skiing and hiking excursions. They also loved the beach and spent much time together in Daytona Beach over holidays and Bike Week. They shared a love of motorcycles, classic cars and classic rock.
Bill had many interests and many loves, but none greater than his love of family. Deeply loved by his devoted wife and children, Bill was and will always be a role model and family patriarch. He was always generous in spirit and deed and supported his family on all levels. In years past, he could be seen every weekend at the football field while his son Kellen played football and daughter Tarah cheered or at a local rodeo arena. Never missing an event, he was proud of his children and was their greatest fan.
Bill will be honored at a Celebration of Life on Saturday, January 19 at Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home, 428 E. Plant Street, Winter Garden, FL 34787. Visitation will be held from 10 AM – 12 PM with burial immediately following at Orlando Memorial Gardens, 5264 Ingram Road, Apopka, FL 32703. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 507 N. Park Avenue, Suite 100, Winter Park, FL 32789.
