William "Bill" Ferrall

Ferrall, William "Bill"
Surrounded by dear friends and three generations of his family, William "Bill" Ferrall, 87, slipped quietly from this world on Sunday, March 6th, 2011, at Hospice of the Valley, Friendship Village, in Tempe, AZ. Bill was born and raised in the town of Lima, in west-central Ohio, graduating from Lima South High School. After serving in the European Theatre of WWII with the U.S. Army, he earned a B.S. in Commerce from Ohio University and began a 35-year career as an accountant. Married to his beloved Jean Eleanor (Wildermuth) on June 28, 1947, they later moved with their young family to Arizona in 1958. His lifelong love of choral music found expression in five decades of performance in the Valley, beginning with the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix, and later with Orpheus Emeritus, and The Choralairs. Overseas tours with Orpheus kindled a love for new places, and he traveled extensively with wife Eleanor after he retired from Salt River Project in 1986. A man of faith, Bill was an active member of Scottsdale United Methodist Church for 53 years. He also spent 17 years volunteering with the Scottsdale HealthCare Auxiliary. A consummate gentleman always, those who knew him will remember his wit, his sense of style, his devotion to service, and his love of God and family. Bill is preceded in death by his parents Russell and Mary (Stinebaugh), siblings Robert and Dorothy (Grose), and daughter Kristine. He is survived by his soul mate and wife of nearly 64 years, Eleanor, sons Timothy, Jonathan and Andrew, daughters-in-law Vicki (Bray) and Judy Sharkey, grandchildren Beth (Greenberg), Heather (Kircher), Carson and Siobhan, and great grand-daughter Paige (Kircher). A Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. on March 25th, at Messinger Mortuary, 7601 E. Indian School Rd., Scottsdale. A reception will follow at 1 p.m. at Friendship Village Health Care Center, 2625 E. Southern Ave., Tempe. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in his memory to Hospice of the Valley, Friendship Village. You will be dearly missed, but never forgotten, "Grandpa Willy."