William Cooley

Cooley, William (Bill) A.

Born Sept. 18, 1926, in Brookville, Penn., to Florence and Frederick Cooley. He passed away suddenly from natural causes on Feb. 17, 2015, in Redwood City, Calif. The youngest of three children, Bill was preceded in death by his sister, Jane Ney, and brother, Fred Cooley.

After graduating High School, Bill enlisted in the Navy in 1944. After his Naval Service, Bill enrolled at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., in 1945. Bill loved to sing and in college he joined William & Mary's Common Glory, where he was known for his strong, beautiful baritone voice. Following his graduation in 1949, Bill found employment in Baltimore, Md.

It was in Baltimore that he met the love of his life, Joann Freeman. They met in January 1953 and were married five months later. That marriage lasted 62 years until his passing.

In 1954, Bill accepted employment with Kimberly-Clark, where he and his bride took up residence in Niagara Falls, N.Y. In Niagara Falls, the first two of the couple's three children were born. Kimberly-Clark promoted him to Personnel Manager in 1964 and transferred him Niagara, Wis. Shortly after arriving in Niagara, the couple's 3rd child was born. It was in Niagara that Bill and Jo started the family in downhill skiing. This also lead to a purchase of a cottage in Upper Michigan which was used by the family as a skiing base of operations for many years.

Transferred once again in 1967, Bill became Personnel Manager at the Kimberly-Clark Mill in Kimberly, Wis. and moved his family to Neenah, Wis. In 1977, Bill left Kimberly-Clark Corp. to take the position of Personnel Director at Fort Howard Paper Company in Green Bay, Wis., retiring in 1990.

Shortly after retiring, Bill and Jo left Green Bay and moved to Sun Lakes, Ariz. They enjoyed 23 years of traveling in their retirement, and visited many countries including France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, China, Australia, Thailand, Russia and Greece.

Bill loved to play tennis, joining Western Racket Club and participating in leagues for many years. Bill continued to play tennis until the age of 79. Bill and Jo also played Co-Ed Volleyball for years, and passed the love for that game on to some of his children and grandchildren.

After 19 years in Sun Lakes, Bill and Jo relocated to Redwood City California to be near their daughter and her husband.

Bill became a Packer Fan upon his arrival in Wisconsin in 1964, and followed the Packers religiously the rest of his life. He attended as many Packer games as possible, including as late as 2012. Having moved from the area, he anxiously awaited weekly clippings sent from Green Bay, taken from the Press-Gazette, on Packer games and happenings. Bill and Jo also enjoyed playing bridge, and found games in each of the cities they resided in.

An avid reader throughout his life, Bill and Jo participated and started some of the Great Books chapters in several of the cities where they lived. Bill was particularly interested in history, with a special fondness for the history of the American Civil War.

Bill was known for always having something positive to say about everyone. His great sense of diplomacy served him not only in his Personnel career in every aspect of his family life; where he was relied upon for his level headed and balanced approach to solving problems. The family always turned to him for his wisdom and advice.

He was a tremendous role model of a father. Never missing one of his children's sporting events or concerts, he looked forward to attending his grand children's events as well. He offered unconditional support, love and guidance which helped his children and grandchildren find their way in the world.

Bill is survived by his wife, Jo, Redwood City, Calif.; daughter, Karen Cooley-Lugerner and son-in-law, Jeff Lugerner, San Francisco, Calif.;, sons, David Cooley, Santa Monica, Calif.; James Cooley and daughter-in law, Kymberly Cooley, Green Bay, Wis.; grandchildren, Courtney and Chase Cooley, Green Bay; and step-grandchildren, Lauren Kader and Steven Lugerner of the San Francisco Bay area.