Bill Wanrooy

Bill Wanrooy wasn't happy unless he was busy. He was a man in constant motion, whether it was working on his home improvement projects, building his business, or sharing time with his family, Bill worked hard. Today his energy, and his example, lives on in all who knew him.

Bill's story began on a cool winter day in 1925, in the bustling city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Those were exciting times in this country, the heyday of the Roaring 20s, when Big Bands were king, and Prohibition was the law of the land. Those were especially good times for William and Tressa (VanOveran) Wanrooy, who celebrated the birth of a baby boy on February 23, a son they named William, like his father.

Bill was the middle of three children in the family's home on Tamarack, joining older sister Audrey and younger sister Verna. Bill was a very active boy, who always found his share of mischief, and loved to play at Richmond Park near their home. Bill was rambunctious, but full of character and personality, too.

The Wanrooys were a tight-knit clan, and spent wonderful summer vacations camping on the sand at Holland State Park. And while he teased his sisters endlessly growing up, Bill remained close to them throughout his lifetime, sharing many holidays and vacations together.

Bill attended Harrison Park Elementary, before graduating early from Union High School in 1943. He petitioned to graduate early so he could join the war effort, enlisting in the Army Air Corps. There Bill trained and became a pilot, serving his country bravely.

When he returned home, he found work peddling produce from the back of his truck at the farmer's market, as well as on a route on the city's west side. It was hard work and he wanted a change, taking a job at Gezon Motors.

His personal life got more interesting, as well. One evening Bill was bowling at the Ten Pin Bowling Alley, when another bowler caught his eye, a young woman named Charlotte Lieffering. The two hit it off, began dating, and soon fell in love. A year later, they were married at the Klise Memorial Chapel, beginning a wonderful life together.

The newlyweds settled into a home in Grand Rapids, and Bill provided for his new bride by working at Gezon, where he worked for many years. Soon, he'd have a family to provide for, as well. Bill and Charlotte were blessed with two sons over the years, William and Kimm, who made them so proud. The boys were four years apart in age, but together the four Wanrooys were very close. Despite his tireless work ethic, Bill was always there for his boys, and the family took many memorable vacations together, piling in the car and driving out to the East Coast, the New York World's Fair or down to Florida for some fun in the sun.

When the boys were young, Bill added to their family two beautiful St. Bernards, purebred dogs he trained to show in competitions. He was very active in the Grand Rapids Kennel Club in those days, once serving as President. He worked with his dogs every night to prepare them to show.

Bill always had a project waiting for him at home, though, and he was never content to just sit around and watch TV. He always had something he wanted to do around the home, whether it was remodeling, building, redecorating, or just working in the yard. He'd typically come home from a hard day's work, and head right out to work on whatever project he had at the moment, toiling until after dark. Bill was the kind of man who, when he wasn't working on a project, he was thinking about working on one!

After working for Gezon Motors for many years, Bill bought his own automobile dealership in 1971, starting Wanrooy Motors in Bloomington, Indiana. Through his hard work and determination, he built the dealership into a successful business, and he and his beloved Char lived in Bloomington until Bill retired in 1987.

After his "retirement," the couple moved to Pompano Beach, Florida, on the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway of the Atlantic Ocean. He found plenty to keep himself occupied in Florida, as well, from boating with Char, to playing golf, to of course, puttering around his house. They later moved to Melbourne.

Working hard was simply how Bill relaxed, and nobody could ever tell him otherwise. Bill carried on the traditional Wanrooy characteristic of being strong-willed ... he had his opinion, and was never afraid of sharing it to all within earshot! Most people knew that with Bill, it was his way.

Bill eventually developed respiratory problems, which hampered his activity level in recent years. Then, in February of 2007, Bill fell and broke his hip, which required surgery. He recovered at a rehabilitation facility, though his respiratory issues became a problem. Sadly, Bill died at the Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida at 7:25 a.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2007, at the age of 82.

Bill was a remarkable man, who led a remarkable life, a life so full of hard work, and fond family memories. He was a loving husband, proud father, grandfather and great grandfather, and a friend to many over the years. Most of all, Bill was a man with a limitless energy, who stayed in constant motion. Today his energy, and his example, lives on in all who knew him. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Charlotte Wanrooy; his children, William and Gayle Wanrooy, Kimm and Kristina Wanrooy; his grandchildren, Stefanie (John) Meyerholtz, William A. (Katherine) Wanrooy, Valerie (Kyle) O'Brien, Jill (Richard) Lancaster; great grandchildren, Diana Gayle Meyerholtz, Otto Meyerholtz; his sisters, Audrey (William) Davis, Verna Strotbaum; several nieces and nephews and many friends. A service to celebrate Bill's life will be held at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW on Thursday April 19 at 11:00 AM. Friends and relatives are invited to meet his family at the funeral home on Wednesday from 7-9 PM. To read more about Bill's life, share your own memory of him or to sign his guest book, visit his Memory Page at www.lifestorynet.com.