The Passing of My Uncle Bill

My Uncle Bill passed away last Sunday after suffering a fall and breaking his hip that previous Thursday.  His funeral was yesterday and to my greatest regret I was unable to attend it and honor him.  I shall make amends for this, along with my wife and youngest daughter this next week as we travel back to our old home in Oregon to pay our final respects to Uncle Bill.

My Uncle was an amazing man in so many ways.  To those that didn't know him well, he often came across as a gruff no-nonsense kind of guy, and indeed to a certain extent he was definitely that!  But Uncle Bill was also a man with a very big heart and a great sense of humor, albeit a very dry one.

His eyes would always light up when he saw our little daughter Brittany.  He called her his baby goat, because she was just a "kid".  Of course, Brittany thus called him Grandpa Goat in return.  He adored his "kid" and she dearly loved him back, regardless of the fact that she could always expect him to tease her mercilessly whenever they were together.

I always knew him as a man that spoke his mind clearly, concisely, and without equivocation.  He had no problem telling you or anyone what was wrong from right.  He was a very very good and decent man accordingly and insisted on doing the right thing always.  There was refreshingly little gray area in his world where everything becomes relative and something wrong is thus justified accordingly.

He was an uncompromising man determined to do the right thing and he was the very personification of the poster boy for the greatest generation.  His patriotism and service to our country began in World War II where he once told me the story of how he was one of the first American soldiers to enter a German concentration camp.  He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and never lost that military bearing after his retiring from the Army Reserves and then going on to work for the power company for the next forty years. 

He will be missed dearly and loved always.  The world is a little sadder place today because of his leaving but a far better place today because of the life he lived and the lives he touched!  I love you Uncle Bill!

My Uncle's obituary from the local Medford, Oregon paper is posted below:

William C. "Bill" Tycer, 91, died peacefully Sunday, October 10, 2010, at Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Ore. Bill was born in Grants Pass, Ore., the son of Herb and Ruth Tycer. He was a longtime resident of Medford.

After graduating from Medford High School in 1937, he joined the U.S. Army in 1943, where he served in World War II. After completing active duty, he later served as a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserves.

After serving with the Army, Bill had the opportunity to join Copco, then Pacific Power and Light, where he worked as the warehouse manager until he retired after four decades of service.

Bill had a passion for public service and government and served as a Medford City Councilman. An avid golfer, he was a longtime member of Rogue Valley Country Club, and for much of his life enjoyed his weekly Saturday foursome. Bill also enjoyed hunting, fishing and yard work. His honesty, dry sense of humor, and "creative" renaming of people will be fondly remembered by those who loved him.

Bill is survived by his wife of 19 years, Julie; his two sisters, Norma Frost and Faye Dalton; daughters, Debby Endicott and Trudy Boteilho; his son, Bill Noel; stepsons, Mike Tycer and Jim Tycer; four grandchildren, Heather Endicott, Brady Boteilho, Erica Gottula, and Brittany Tycer; and his dog, Ruby. He was preceded in death by two brothers.

A memorial service celebrating Bill's life will be held Thursday, October 14, 2010, at 1:00 p.m., at the Eagle Point National Cemetery Committal Shelter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Southern Oregon.