William Ray "Bill" Halbert

1951 - 2009

Former Poway resident, William "Bill" Ray Halbert, passed away at his home in Brookings, Oregon, on November 14, 2009, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Bill was born in Minot, North Dakota, November 22, 1951, and moved to Poway in 1967. He graduated from Poway High School in 1969, attended San Diego State College and graduated from Southwestern Oregon Community College.
Bill was a Correctional Counselor at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, CA. Previous to that, he owned and operated the Grand Prix Motorcycle Shop in Lynnwood, WA, for four years. His earlier employment in San Diego included National Parts Manager and later, Regional Sales Manager for Husqvarna Motorcycle Company.
Bill loved to compete, whether as a member of the Poway High School football team, running marathons, racing motorcycles, or simply playing cards with friends and family. He was an avid motorcyclist and was very competitive in AMA District 38 desert races. He was also a Score Off-Road Racer, having raced in the Baja 500 and the Parker 400 events. His favorite event was the Tecate 500 where he finished as high as second overall in the team competition. He loved to go on multi-day rides in Baja, which he knew like his own backyard.
He is survived by his wife, Cathie, and daughter, Amberly, of Brookings; mother, Marie Halbert of Rancho Bernardo; brother, James (Kathi) Halbert of Poway; sister, Dacotah Rowin of Imperial, CA; nieces, Victoria Telford, Raelene and Faith Halbert; nephews, Jens Halbert and Douglas (Jodi) Rowin; and grand-nephews, Brody Telford and Jake Rowin. Bill was preceded in death by his father, Charles Halbert, a longtime educator in the Poway School District.
He was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a devout member of Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Brookings, which is where funeral services were held November 28.
A Celebration of his life will be held for family and friends in Poway at a later date.