William "Bill" Poppe
Obituary
On March 7, 2019, William Ray Poppe
(Bill), a loving husband, father of two and grandfather of two,
passed away at the age of 76 in Medford, Oregon.
Bill was born Jan. 8, 1943, in Chicago,
the second of four children. Most of his youth was spent in the
midwest town of Whitewater. He received an undergraduate teaching
degree from Bethel College. Bill married his high school sweetheart,
Jolene, in 1964 and began a career in teaching. In 1967, they joined
the Peace Corps and spent two years in Central America.
With that adventure complete, Bill went
back to school and received a master's degree from Oklahoma State
University. Bill and Jolene moved to North Bend, Oregon, in 1971.
Bill spent 30 years in education, as both a teacher and
administrator. In 2015, Bill and Jolene moved to the Medford, Oregon,
area to be closer to family.
Bill loved teaching and exploring the
world around him. He loved interacting with people, gaining knowledge
and sharing knowledge. In some ways, he never really stopped
teaching.
This June, Bill and Jolene would have
celebrated their 55th year of marriage. Their two sons were the
center of their lives. Bill's favorite hobbies involved Oregon
beaches, ocean fishing, hunting and traveling. In later years, Bill
became an avid rock hound and enjoyed lapidary. Bill and Jolene are
blessed with many lifelong friends and thoroughly enjoyed traveling
and visiting with them.
Bill was preceded in death by his
youngest son, Jason; and parents, Louis and Dorothy.
He is survived by his wife, Jolene; his
son, Eric and wife Kathy; his two grandchildren, Jordan and Kennedy;
his brother, Roger and wife Lolly; his sister, Donna; his sister,
Debi and husband Tim; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. We love
you Bill.
In lieu of flowers, donate to
RedemptionRidge.org. Service information pending.
