William Paul Lamkin

1935 - 2020

William Paul Lamkin
June 14, 1935 - September 23, 2020
William Paul (Bill) Lamkin, 85, died peacefully at home on September 23rd, 2020 in Walnut Creek, CA with his wife, Molly, at his side, after a lengthy illness.
Born in Pratt, Kansas, Bill lived much of his youth in Tillamook, Oregon where he met the love of his life, Molly, in grade school in 1945. When Molly was 6 years old and Bill was 10, she fell in love with his milk mustache at the dinner table and the rest is history. Bill and Molly were married in 1957 and shared 63 joyous years together, raising nine children in the process.

Bill actively served his community throughout his life. He was proud to be a U.S. Army veteran, where he served as a member of the honor guard. He was also an active leader in numerous community organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, Little League, the Lincoln Village PTA (Stockton, CA), and his local community recreation association where a park in Modesto, CA bears his name. Bill also loved music and song. Gifted with a beautiful voice, he spent many years as a church choir member at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church (Modesto, CA). In his later years as a patient, he would entertain doctors, nurses and patients alike by breaking out in song to the accompaniment of the grand piano player at Stanford Medical Center. Bill was also a billiards enthusiast, known by peers as the Gentleman Pool Player, and played competitively throughout his life.
Bill held many jobs over the years and finished his professional career as a financial advisor with Washington Mutual. Helping others was very important to him and he found it particularly rewarding to support older clients in managing their financial interests.
Bill was a quiet and deeply ethical family man. He liked nothing more than to spend time cooking and singing with his large family at their cabin, usually with a nice glass of red wine in hand. As an enthusiastic and accomplished chef, Bill's endeavors in the kitchen were the highlight of countless holiday meals. He passed his passion for fine food on to his children and while his feats in the kitchen will be missed, his best dishes will be preserved by his children and enjoyed by family and friends for years to come.
A testament to his kind and caring nature, despite the size of his own family, Bill had more than enough love to share with the many kids who were part of his wife Molly's day care business. They knew him as "Uncle Bill" and many have remained a big part of his life through the years.
Bill led a life dedicated to his family and is survived by his wife, Molly, and his nine children, John Lamkin (Lynn), William Lamkin (Janet), Bryan Lamkin (Arianna), Rachelle Carpenter (John), Robert Lamkin (Ray), Kenneth Lamkin, Joseph Lamkin (Jill), Danielle O'Shea (Timothy), and Duane Lamkin (Anika). He is also survived by his honorary son, Caleb Belohlavek (Sandy); his sixteen grandchildren, Thea, John Caleb, Christopher, Nicholas, William, Sophie, Samuel, Molly, James, Liam, Tillie, Josephine, Mac, Olive, Milada, and Alina; his brother, John Lamkin (Kerma) and their children Denise Lamkin, Shauri Lamkin, Sister Theresa Lamkin OSF, and David Lamkin (Robin). Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Mary Christine; his sister, Dorothy Schmidt; and his three brothers, Ralph Schmidt, Larry Schmidt (survived by his children Daniel, Laura, Doug and Laurin), and Maurice Schmidt (survived by his children Bruce, Lauren, Nancy and Brad).
Bill Lamkin was a spiritual man of strong faith. While he made the most of his worldly existence, with many exciting adventures, and lived every day to its fullest until the very end, he peacefully anticipated his life after death. May he rest in peace and rejoice in the eternal light.
The interment of William Lamkin will be a private military service with a joyous memorial celebration of life to follow when large gatherings are once again permitted in 2021. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to one of Bill's favorite charities, Operation Smile, at https://www.operationsmile.org/
www.cvobituaries.com