William H. 'Bill' Stevenson, 74
William H. "Bill" Stevenson, 74, passed away Aug. 16, 2005, at Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Whitefish.
He was born Nov. 7, 1930, in Winslow, Ariz., to Henry C. Stevenson and Marjorie Frances (Gasele) Stevenson. William was raised in Winslow and played center on the Winslow High School football team. He went on to Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1952.
He affiliated with the U.S. Marine Corps while at Stanford and was commissioned as a Marine officer after graduation. He proudly served at stations in Virginia, California and Hawaii.
In 1953, he married the former Jane Kabelin, also of Winslow, with whom he had two daughters. The marriage ended in divorce in 1987.
After his Marine Corps service, he settled in Southern California, working for Anheuser-Busch. He then obtained his Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California (USC), and commenced a long career as an economics analyst on commercial, retail, residential and entertainment real estate development projects for numerous clients, including Walt Disney and Lockheed Martin, among others.
He was married to the former Virginia Christiansen in 1988. He and his wife, Virginia, moved to Whitefish in 1995. He enjoyed 10 happy years living in the beautiful Flathead Valley, entertaining friends and family from out-of-state, and watching his grandchildren learn to ski on Big Mountain. A lifetime Episcopalian, he served on the vestry of Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Whitefish.
He was preceded in death by both of his parents.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia L. Stevenson, of Whitefish; his daughter, Suzanne Stevenson Cross, and son-in-law, Daniel Carroll Cross, of Washington, D.C., and two grandchildren, Charles Carroll and Madeleine Stevenson; his daughter, Carolyn Jane Burgan, and son-in-law John Burgan, of Brookings, Ore., and three granddaughters, Corina, Elizabeth and Jacqueline; his stepdaughter, Jane Hughes, and son-in-law Bob Hughes, of Auburn, Wash., and two grandchildren, Danielle and Chris.
A memorial service for William "Bill" Stevenson will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Whitefish.
The family suggests that contributions be made in Bill's memory to Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, 214 E. Second St., Whitefish, MT 59937.
Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for William's family.