William Robert McMorran

Willam Robert McMorran passed away peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on Thursday November 30th, 2023 after a long, difficult battle with brain cancer. He fought hard and never gave up his will to live.

William, or Billy as he liked to be called, was born on March 25, 1982 to Jim and Denise. Billy was born in San Luis Obispo, California and grew up in both southern and northern California as well as Reno, Nevada and a brief time in Wyoming as a teenager.

A calm, inquisitive person from the start, Billy always loved to read and to learn. There was no limit to the subjects he was interested in. He also loved music, not only listening to music but dedicated many hours to the pursuit of learning instruments including saxophone, guitar, mandolin, and many others, which culminated in his appointment as a Drum Major during his senior year at Galena High School in Reno. He was always inspiringly creative, he excelled in drawing and would often make his own comics and costumes and loved to design personalized skateboards.

Billy served in the US Navy for 14 years attaining the rank of Chief Petty Officer (E7), serving in the submarine force. During his time in the military, he was able to travel the world. Some of his favorite places were Singapore, Japan, and Saipan. Billy loved to tell the story of when his submarine went to the North Pole and the crew had to break through the thick ice.

Billy loved all things nerdy and was an integral part of the Rulebooks Anonymous Podcast. Some of his favorite things were the Lord of the Rings books and movies, MST3K, Star Trek, and all eras of history. He was always enthusiastically sharing his vast historical knowledge which led him to study at the University of Nevada to become a history teacher.

Just months ago, Billy was still in school when the cancer began to take its toll. He was going through chemo and other treatments in between classes. But he never complained; he just kept going. He wanted his three precious kids to see how strong their dad was - and boy was he ever strong.

Of all the incredible things he achieved in life, Billy's proudest accomplishment was being a father to his three children. Nothing gave him more joy in life than being their dad and he loved to take the kids on adventures to places like the Redwoods, Legoland and Balboa Park.

Whenever Billy was asked how he was doing, he always responded by saying "I'm amazing." Even though he was trying to be funny, he was absolutely right.The amazing man, dad, son, brother, uncle, and friend he was will never be forgotten.

Billy is survived by his three children: Theo McMorran, Owl McMorran, and Isaac McMorran, as well as his mother Denise Henderson, father Jim (Joy) McMorran; siblings James (Amanda) McMorran, Melissa (Jesse) Allen, and Jack Henderson; grandparents Wayne (Gail) McMorran, and Shirley Henderson; nieces Penny McMorran and Gwendolyn McMorran, and nephew Hudson McMorran. Billy also leaves behind many friends spanning the country as he made friends everywhere he went.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday April 6th from noon until 4 p.m.at the Western Heritage Building at Bartley Ranch in Reno, NV.