Raymond William "Bill" Kiser Jr.

1946 - 2019

KEYSER - Raymond William "Bill" Kiser, Jr., 72, of Valley View Avenue, Keyser, WV, died Monday, June 24, 2019 at his residence.
Born on December 9, 1946 at Franklin, WV, he was a son of the late Raymond and Bula Verdella (Brady) Kiser.
Mr. Kiser was a 1964 graduate of Buckhannon-Upshur High School and received his B.S. Degree in Aerospace Engineering from West Virginia University in 1968.
He served in the United States Navy from 1969-1972 during the Vietnam War, as a maintenance officer in Brunswick, Maine, working on Navy P-3 Orion planes that were used on anti-submarine missions.
As an artist, Bill was instrumental in establishing the Upshur County Center of Creative Arts. He came to Keyser in 1975 as Artist in Residence for Mineral County and for a number of years, did contract work in painting houses. He also was employed in the maintenance department at Potomac State College for 11 years and retired as a substitute teacher for the Mineral County School System. He also designed a calendar in 1987 which featured his pen and ink drawings of the 17 remaining covered bridges in West Virginia. As part of his artistic background, he also designed a pottery kiln that he was very proud of and has painted numerous oil paintings of his maternal grandmothers homeplace near Webster Springs, WV.
Bill was a member of the Bonnieview Apostolic Chapel in Keyser, and for 16 years, he and his wife served the prison ministry at WCI through Bonnieview Chapel. His main focus in life was his family, spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. Aside from his family, his greatest passion was studying the Bible and writing Bible studies to send to the inmates at WCI.
Surviving are his wife of 38 years, Ruth Elaine (Laudermilch) Kiser; his children, Brian VanMeter and wife Sarah, Jeremiah Kiser and wife Brittany and twins, Michael Kiser and wife April and Matthew Kiser and girlfriend Christain Redman, all of Keyser; eight grandchildren, Sabrina VanMeter and boyfriend Matt Wilt, Tiffany VanMeter and boyfriend Dylan Dove, Sean VanMeter and girlfriend, Samantha Hickey and Brittany VanMeter and Dane, Beau, Alaina and Gabriel Kiser and one "on the way,' three great-grandchildren, Arabella VanMeter and Payton and Landyn Dove and one "on the way." Also surviving are three sisters, Sandy Sheahan of Spartanburg, SC, Suzanne Haas of Buckhannon, WV and Cheryl Brown of Pulaski, TN and a brother, Bob Kiser of Buckhannon.
Friends may call at the Bonnieview Apostolic Chapel, Keyser, on Sunday, June 30, 2019 from 2-4 p.m.
A funeral service will be conducted immediately following the visitation at 4:00 p.m. with Pastor Robert Fazzalore, Pastor Daniel Garlitz and Pastor Eugene Whetzel officiating.
Interment will be in the Potomac Memorial Gardens, Keyser.
The Smith Funeral Home, Keyser Chapel, is in charge of the arrangements.
The family requests that memorial contributions be directed to the Smith Funeral Home, 85 S. Main Street Keyser, WV 26726 to assist in defraying funeral expenses.
Condolences and personal reflections to the family may be left after Mr. Kiser's obituary at smithfuneralhomes.net.