William Thomas Taber

Bill Taber, 78, passed away peacefully after a long illness, on October 11, 2010. Bill is survived by his loving wife Julie Taber; his five children: Deirdre (Bill) Kingsbury, Mark (Laurie) Taber, David (Anneliese) Taber, Brian (Monica) Taber, Monica (David) Gutting; and 15 grandchildren: Mikaela, Thomas, Daniel, Diana, Stephen and Catherine Kingsbury; Patrick and Kathleen Taber; Jennifer and Michael Taber; Alena, Danielle and Matthew Taber; and Alondra and Linnea Gutting. Bill was born in San Francisco on June 29, 1932, to Alice Schwab Taber and William Thomas Taber, Sr., and was raised on the family dairy ranch in Sebastopol in the house built by his grandfather. He attended Canfield School and was active in 4-H, showing registered Jersey cattle. At Analy High School, Bill was active in FFA and was awarded Star Farmer and American Farmer. He graduated in 1950 and enjoyed attending yearly reunions. Bill earned a Bachelor's Degree in Dairy Science from Cal Poly in 1954. It was in San Luis Obispo that he met the love of his life, Jule Ann (Julie) McPhee, the daughter of Cal Poly president Julian A. McPhee. They were married at Mission San Luis Obispo in 1955. Bill was an excellent and faithful husband and father, and with Julie raised five children. Bill spent most of his life as a dairy rancher, enjoying rural life while providing excellent care of the cows. He served as a 4-H leader and helped his children with their show animals at the county fairs. He retired from the dairy business in 1990 and continued to manage the ranch property. Bill especially loved traveling with his wife Julie. They traveled to Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, and Mexico. Bill also enjoyed camping with his children and grandchildren and with SIRS #100 (Sons in Retirement). Bill was a member of Autumn Leaves, YMI (Young Men's Institute), and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. He and Julie were involved with St. Sebastian's Catholic Church, Marriage Encounter, and Redwood Empire Cursillo. His grandchildren describe him as a loving and attentive listener who loved a good joke. Until his automobile accident in December 2006, Bill was active and independent. He survived the trauma but did not regain his independence. Bill provided a model of how to handle adversity with grace. The family expresses love and gratitude to Bot Alicdan and the staff at Betsy's Care Home, Santa Rosa, who treated him as part of the family. Visitation will be 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., with a vigil service at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, October 17th, at Parent-Sorensen Mortuary, 850 Keokuk St., Petaluma. The Funeral Mass will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Cotati, on Monday, October 18, at 11:00 a.m. Donations may be sent to Hannah Boys Center, 17000 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA, or to Memorial Hospice, 821 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA.