William R. Zeller Jr.

1948 - 2018

Bill Zeller (William R. Zeller, Jr.) died peacefully at his home Thursday, October 11, 2018, surrounded by family. Bill was born on June 30, 1948, in Stockton, California, to loving parents, William R. Zeller Sr. and Norma Jean Zeller.

Bill had a life well lived full of love. As a young boy, he was ever the entrepreneur. He and his brother, Rand, spent many afternoons fishing the Stockton Delta, later selling the fruits of their labor as bait. He had a T.V. guide route, and few could resist the charming young redhead who sold greeting cards door-to-door. His "gigs" gave him the opportunity to give nice gifts to his parents and brother at Christmas time, which was important to him, but also so he could purchase his beloved 1965 Chevy Malibu Super Sport.

As an adolescent and young adult he was active in De Molay. He was an activist, and fought for civil rights for all. He was proud to have met and campaigned for John F. Kennedy. His litmus test for politicians was "Would you invite them into your home to meet your family?". He was proud of his experience at the University of California, Davis, where he studied Math and English (and did well at both - he was that guy). He also bathed in Shakespeare and wine. He was really smart, and dear, too, although one time, he and his friends once pulled a prank on a dorm mate where they disassembled a car (a CAR!), and then reassembled it inside his dorm room. That may or may not have been forgiven. There was also the exploding door frame incident, but that's another story.

And then there's the lovebird business anyone would dream of having in their lives. It's a true love story: Bill met Gennis, the love of his life, when they were 14! I know, you guys! It's too sweet. Here's what happened: Gennis saw that cute redhead Bill on the school bus(!), and, that moment, told her best friend, "That's the guy I'm going to marry". Her best friend made a bet of $5, and actually, eventually, delivered. Gennis bought their wedding rings when she was 19 (Bill didn't quite know that), and they went and got married when they were 21, surrounded by hundreds of people. She was (and is) his everything, the force behind all that he did. September 2018 marked 49 years of marriage. They have traveled the world together, raised children and grandchildren. They are so close they are connected, even still. He used to tell his girls, "Emulate your mother." - advice well heeded.

Bill's passion was teaching; so much so that his daughters developed a solid eye-roll whenever he talked about "his kids". He truly and deeply loved all of his students. He taught his family life lessons through the many stories with "his kids" -- his trip to visit the little girl who wouldn't get out of bed to go to school (her mom called, and he came to rouse her), the kid who got his lip stuck on an apple juice can (That mom bypassed everyone and just popped that sucker off), and the kid who died from a terminal illness, surrounded by family, to Veronica who came one day to visit and ended up being a part of our family. He was always part their-Dad. He remembered all the names of his students, their siblings, their parents and caregivers. We remember you too.

Bill's first jobs included Beamer Elementary, Freeman elementary, and Whitehead Elementary in Woodland, CA. From there, he served Yuba City Schools starting as a teaching Principal at Robbins School, followed by his first full time administrative job at Lincoln elementary in Yuba City where he moved with his family in 1982. He realized a personal dream in helping to open Andros Karperos Middle School, recruiting his "dream team" to teach. He later worked at Yuba City High School, and finally at the YCUSD district office.

His career spanned the spectrum, and he gained knowledge every step of the way. He valued putting students first, asking them what THEY needed - he always said that his students taught him more than he taught them. He was respectful of different ways of learning and was forever researching how he could be a better teacher. He believed in holding students to the same high bar, and then made sure that teachers had space and resources to make that happen. He recognized and valued the gift of teaching and empowered teachers to make use of their talents. He deeply valued the connections he had with his mentors and mentees. He encouraged people above all else, to be kind to one another. In retirement he volunteered hundreds of hours chairing school accreditation committees which gave him the opportunity to share his expertise. In retirement, he took this work very seriously, seeing it as an opportunity to pay back to the field from which he gained so much.

Bill had the absolute best group of friends - 40+ years of friendship with the "the porch pups". This treasured group raised families together, weathered weddings, funerals, births, hell hikes, decades of fishing trips, battery-powered margaritas, superbowl pools, knee surgeries, poker, and lots of beer. Those relationships were full of hilarity and so much love. Similarly, his life long friendships with Dan and Norm sustained him, made him who he was. Bill always considered Yuba City his home, and a big part of that was the Kobayashi family and so many other dear friends he considered family, that he helped raise as much as they helped raise his own.

Bill was also a Dad, and as you can imagine, the best Dad. Ever. He would do pigtails on his little girls that were absolutely 90 degrees opposite. For lunches, he would pack left-over risotto or BBQ chicken in a full size grocery bag because it was good food and the paper bags were not to be wasted. He brainstormed careers and debated books and told them they could be whatever they wanted. He took his girls fishing, taught them how to score a baseball game, showed them how to identify Orian's Belt. He made up a game called "sweat monster" where he would smother said girls with sweat after playing raquetball. He took regular walks into the orchard in the evening, wine in hand, and trailing behind him, a wife, 2 daughters, a dog, any number of cats, some chickens, maybe a duck, and once upon a time, a rabbit. Oh, the Sutter County sunsets. What a life. He said that often.

This man Traveled! And boy, he loved to share his stories. He loved meeting people and hearing their stories; his trips to China and India in the early 80's (where he was once held on an airplane because of a feared coup attempt, Vietnam (with Ed where they rode scooters and met with a Viet Cong general), Europe, Mexico, France, Italy, New Zealand. His favorite trips were with his wife, Gennis.

One of Bill's greatest experiences was being a Grandpa. He loved spending time with his 3 grandsons, talking, sharing jokes, fishing, sharing jokes, playing cribbage and board games, and....sharing jokes. He loved those kids something fierce. He loved his sons-in-law as his own and loved his nephews and nieces too. Bill had one brother that meant the world to him. Rand was his other half. Rand's wife Muriel became the sister he always wanted.

He is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Gennis; his daughters, Genanne and Caitlyn; his brother, Rand and his wife Muriel; their children, Aaron, Matthew, and Holly; his sons-in-law, Ed and Toby, whom he regarded as his own; his grandsons, Gracen, Kyan, and Ollie; his mother-in-law, Alice; his brothers-in-law and their families; his Aunt Linda; and many wonderful cousins.

Listen, reader, here are words - take them or leave them. Bill died too soon. Also, Bill lived a full life - one where he met his true love at 14 (14!!), and got to spend the rest of his life with her. He was passionate and proud of his work with kids, and he did well by them. He raised a family that is loving and kind. He was accomplished. He was humble. He was loving. He was kind. He made a difference. He valued difference and diversity. He found power in vulnerability. One thing he missed out on this earthly go around was voting in the upcoming election. He would want you to vote.

At the end of every day, every phone call, every goodbye, he would say to anyone he loved, "Take care of each other". So, take care of each other. Be kind. Thanks for being his friend. He was a really wonderful person.

A celebration of a life well lived will be at Ting's Refuge Restaurant on Sunday, October 21, 2018. Remarks will begin around 1 pm. Food will be there, wine and beer too. Dress casual, wear bright colors. Bring hugs and stories.