William Warmerdam

William John Warmerdam died peacefully at home on January 8. A lifelong resident of Hanford, he was born to Dutch immigrants John and Gezien Warmerdam in 1938. Bill graduated from Hardwick Elementary School, Lemoore High School and Fresno State. He served in the National Guard after college. Bill was a lifelong member of St. Brigid Catholic Church in Hanford. In 1965, he married Audrey Coelho. Together, the couple founded Warmerdam Packing, a fruit farming and packing operation. Their first packing shed was erected on Grangeville Blvd. in Hanford in 1969. The operation was moved to its Excelsior Ave. location in 1977. Bill was admired as a leader in the fruit industry for continually embracing innovation and new technologies in the field and packing shed. He was indebted to the many loyal employees whom he had the privilege of working beside over the years. Bill is survived by Audrey, his wife of 53 years, and his children, Maria Warmerdam (Craig Volonoski) and their children Frank and Grace; Billy Warmerdam; Catherine Warmerdam (David O'Toole) and their children Joseph, Dominic, Margaret and Thomas; John (Tara) and their children Olivia, Claire, Isaac and Andrew; Anne Warmerdam; Emily Warmerdam (Christofer Levonian) and their children Matthew and Paul; Brigid Warmerdam; Laura Kelty (Jeremy) and their children Audrey and Ellen. He is also survived by his brothers, John Warmerdam and Nick Warmerdam, and his sister, Ann Badasci. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be held at Saint Brigid Catholic Church on Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. at Saint Brigid Catholic Church. Remembrances in Bill's name may be sent to The Parkinson Alliance, P.O. Box 308, Kingston, NJ 08528 or parkinsonalliance.org; St. Agnes Hospice, 6729 N. Willow Ave., Suite 103, Fresno, Ca. 93710; or St. Vincent de Paul Society, 115 W. 5th St., Hanford, Ca. 93230.