Obituary - William "Bill" Stirling

William "Bill" Stirling, a longtime resident of Winchester Bay, Oregon, had recently moved to a Family Home in Veneta, Oregon. Bill passed away peacefully at the Family Home on Sunday Oct. 25, 2015, at the age of 89.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m., Friday Nov. 13, at Winchester Bay Community Center in Winchester Bay.  He will be buried later at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.

Bill was born Sept. 19, 1926. He grew up on a 2,000 acre farm near Turner, Montana. He attended the Turner schools, first at North Fairview, an elementary school, one mile from his home, where he lived with his parents, Tom and George Stirling, and his five brothers and two sisters, Thomas, Wallace, Frank, Roger, Ida Jane and JoAnn. Bill is survived by Ida Jane Taylor, currently living in Tacoma, Washington; JoAnn Roseburg, living in Bellevue, Washington, and Roger Stirling living in Portland.

Bill's first job was driving truck in Turner for Stan Brockway.

In 1944, he joined the United States Navy. He was stationed on several supply ships (Navy Merchant Ships) carrying supplies to the Pacific troops. He went through the Panama Canal six times, and was discharged in 1947 at Norfolk, Virginia.  

His goal when he was discharged was to become a rancher.

Bill learned to fly airplanes via the GI Bill. Bill became a "spray pilot," flight instructor, aircraft mechanic – in the winter, and an aircraft charter pilot for Hensley Flying Service in Havre, Montana. He was actively engaged in these flying activities for over 15 years.

Bill was a member of Fraternal Order the Elks in Havre. He remained a member even when in Utah and Oregon. He later also joined the Eugene, Oregon Elks.

Bill and his brother Frank bought two Dairy Queen restaurants in Provo, Utah.  Bill was the operator/manager of these stores.

In the 1960s he and brother Frank built a brand new Diary Queen Restaurant on Coburg Road, in Eugene, Oregon. In the late 1970s they sold this DQ as Bill had decided he would like to "go fishing" in Winchester Bay.

Fishing in Winchester Bay was the start of his third major career.

In the 1970s, first he bought a 28-foot Uniflite, but soon decided that boat was much too small for the way he wanted to fish. He bought the 50-foot trawler "Cathan" for commercial salmon fishing, crabbing and tuna fishing. At one time he had more than 200 crab pots. In the 1980s there was the annual Opening Day Boat Parade.   One year the "Cathan" won "Best Of Show."

Bill enjoyed and loved people.

Bill had many friends in the Winchester Bay area.

Bill enjoyed and had a flare for new sporty cars, pickups and SUVs, including in the late 1940s a flashy Buick Convertible (one of many Buicks he owned), in the mid-1950s a Lincoln Continental - a real road car; in the 1960s several Ford Thunderbirds including a honey gold 1965 T-Bird; in the 1970s a "Special Order" "Irish" Kelly green Cadillac Coupe Deville; and in 2003 a dark blue Ford "Expedition-XLT."

In recent years Bill enjoyed his daily walks around Winchester Bay, including stops at the post office, the pizza parlor and the Neptune for a Pepsi. And then there were the trips to the Lakeside Resort for lunch – another favorite.

Bill will be greatly missed by all of us, including his many relatives.

Donations in remembrance may be made to the Winchester Bay Community Center, 635 Broadway, Winchester Bay, OR 97467.