William Wilding "Bill" Papich

William "Bill" Papich, 69, died of multiple medical causes Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017, in Farmington. He was born Aug. 23, 1948, in San Francisco, Calif., to Margery and Sam Papich.
Bill grew up in Arlington, Va. He received a Bachelor's degree from Monmouth College in Illinois. When drafted, he served in Vietnam.
Bill was a versatile person and had many different jobs during his life. He worked in a copper mine in Arizona. He did construction work and helped build the subway in Washington, DC. Bill went back to college in Albuquerque to study journalism. He was a TV reporter in Anchorage, Alaska. He then came to Farmington in the mid 1980's and worked as a newspaper reporter for the Daily Times. He became a freelance writer in the late 1990's, and his stories were published in major newspapers throughout the United States including the Los Angeles Times. Bill also worked as a Public Relations Officer at the BLM from 2002 to 2013. He really loved his reporting jobs and the Public Relations job because he got to meet so many people.
Bill married JoAnn in 1993, and they traveled throughout Mexico, Central America, Argentina, Chile, and even went to Easter Island in the Pacific. They went to Spain and saw the Roman aqueduct in Segovia. They went to Rome and Pompeii. Bill loved to go fishing and camping in his little pop-up, and he and JoAnn also visited many wild and wonderful places closer to home in the Four Corners. At the end, Bill said, "I've had a good life."
Bill is survived by his sister, Louise, of Albuquerque, and by his wife, JoAnn, of Farmington. Donations in his name may be made to the Farmington Animal Shelter.
Bill's care is entrusted to Alternative Choice Funeral and Cremation, 804 N. Dustin Ave. in Farmington, 505-325-9611. Those who wish to express their condolences may do so at www.serenityandcompany.com.