William J. "Bill" Downer Jr.

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Michigan State University University of Michigan

William Downer Obituary

OCEANSIDE, Calif. - Army veteran William J. "Bill" Downer Jr., 74, a former Great Falls resident and president of the then-Columbus Hospital in Great Falls from 1985 until 1995, died of congestive heart failure June 15 in Oceanside, Calif.
A celebration of his life will be held Aug. 2 at the First Presbyterian Church in Oceanside.
Surviving Bill are his wife, Wanda; sons Larry and his three children, Bill and his wife, Pamela and her three children, and a total of 16 great-grandchildren.
Bill was born Sept. 29, 1932, in Springfield, Ill., and grew up there. He attended Michigan State University, where he received his bachelor's degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional administration.
Bill met his future wife, Wanda, in college, and they married in 1953. He spent five years in the Army and remained in the Reserves as part of a hospital unit in Grand Rapids, Mich., eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
He received his master's of hospital administration in 1961 from the University of Michigan, and held various positions at Blodgett Memorial Hospital in Grand Rapids, becoming president of the hospital following the retirement of his boss. He guided Blodgett through the building of a new facility and many improvements until 1984.
In 1985, Bill was appointed president of Columbus Hospital in Great Falls, a position in which he served with distinction until 1995, when he decided to take a well-deserved "retirement." He had a very active retirement in Great Falls, being elected to the Great Falls City Commission in 1995, where he served until 1999.
In 2000, Bill and Wanda moved to the San Diego, Calif., area, to be closer to the family they loved so much.
Bill was a gentle, respectful, supportive person who was always able to bring out the best in those around him. A loving and doting father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Bill took great joy in his family.
Bill was a devoted Civil War historian who accumulated a vast library of publications and materials about the Civil War. Bill was also a great lover of turtles and collected innumerable sculptures and figurines of turtles over his life. Bill was a longtime member of Rotary International. Bill was also very active in the Presbyterian Church and served as an elder in each place he lived.
The family asks that memorials in honor of Bill be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 1315 Central Ave., Great Falls, MT, 59401; or to the Stephen Ministry Program at First Presbyterian Church, 2001 El Camino Real, Oceanside, CA, 92054.
Condolences may be sent online to greatfallstribune.com/obituaries.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Great Falls Tribune on Jun. 30, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
for William Downer

8 Entries

Anne Belding (Pierce)

July 30, 2007

Wanda ~
I came across Bill's obituary today while I was online at the Great Falls Tribune. Words can not express the sadness I felt for you and your family over Bill's passing.

I just want to tell you how blessed I was to be able to handle travel for both Bill and for you when I worked for Anderson-Elerding Travel. I now live in Arizona and manage a travel department for a large company, and even though the years have flown by, I have never forgotten Bill and his gentle caring sprirt. He was so easy to talk with and always remained unaffected by his position in life.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Kind regards,

Cheryl Reichert, M.D., Ph.D.

July 12, 2007

Dear Wanda and family,
I was fortunate to work as a pathologist at the Columbus Hospital while Bill was the CEO. He had a "grandfatherly" approach to his managerial duties, and his caring and good nature were readily apparent to all the staff. In addition to leading the Columbus Hospital, his willingness to nuture the McLaughlin Research Institute was visionary. Please accept my sincere condolences in your loss.

Sharon Sayre

July 9, 2007

Dear Wanda and family, Bill will always be remembered as one of the most kind, compassionate and caring directors we have had at First Interstate Bank. He was a joy to work with and shared his warm smile with all of us. He had a very deep passion for his family which he loved to talk about. While this is a time of sympathy to all of you, it is also a time to celebrate his wonderful full life. Thanks for sharing part of him with us in Great Falls.
Sharon Rivera Sayre
First Interstate Bank, Great Falls

Sr. Mary Kaye Nealen

July 2, 2007

Wanda and Family, I am sorry to hear of Bill's death and offer my prayers and condolences at this time of your loss. Bill was President of Columbus Hospital when I knew him; I am sending the obituary to Sr. Eileen Croghan. Lovingly,

Thomas and Elisa Philbin

July 2, 2007

We new the Downer family when they lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan and wish to extend our sympathies to Mrs. Downer and the extended family. May God's blessings be with you.

Kelly Cyr

June 30, 2007

I knew Mr. Downer as a young nurse. He was such a kind man, always praising us and encouraging us. I have a very cute story of him in my book, Supreme Love, and I am glad he will be forever remembered there.

Deb Asmus

June 30, 2007

I am sorry for your loss. I worked at Columbus Hospital when Mr. Downer was our administrator. He was a very kind and just man who lead by example. You can be proud of his accomplishments.

Bill and Patty Kerr

June 30, 2007

Dear Wanda and family,our prayers and thoughts are with you at this time. God Bless you and your family.

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