William DeRousse

William (Bill) Marshall DeRousse, 88, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2024 surrounded by his family at home in Clarkston, MI. He was born in Pontiac, MI on October 9, 1935 to Albert and Louise DeRousse. Bill graduated from Pontiac Central High School in January, 1954. In 1953, Bill started working for Pontiac Motors as an hourly employee. He graduated from apprentice school in 1957 and served as an inspector of Product Engineering until 1972 when he transferred to Salary as a Technician in the Display Room. He was appointed Supervisor of the Vehicle Build Group in 1976, appointed General Supervisor of Material Control Expediting in 1981 and continued to serve in management until he retired with 38 years of service in 1992. Bill served his country in the United States Army from 1959-1961. Bill was a pitcher in a fastpitch softball league for many years playing many of his games at Carl Shell Park in Drayton Plains. In one newspaper article, Bill was described as the winning pitcher that performed an iron-man stunt of pitching all 15 innings in a four-hour, marathon playoff game and it was reported that he seemed to get stronger as the game wore on. Bill was known for his passion for hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. From October 1st through January 1st, you were likely to find Bill in a farm field or the woods of northern Michigan. He spent his life sharing this passion with his family and friends, often taking trips and offering tips, advice, and teaching moments. Bill was also known for his friendly smile, sense of humor, and catalog of jokes. He had a deep love and loyalty to his family. Bill married the love of his life, Barbara Martin on February 10, 1962 and they were happily married for 62 years.
Bill is survived by his wife Barbara DeRousse; his three children, Genie (Will) Adkins, Karen DeRousse, and Matthew (Jane) DeRousse; and his granddaughters, Taylor DeRousse and Emily DeRousse; his brother-in-law Howard (Joan) Myers; and his many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Albert and Louise DeRousse; his brother James DeRousse and his sister Dorothy Hazlip.
A funeral service will take place at 2:00 PM on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at Coats Funeral Home – Waterford. Visitation will be held before the service on Thursday, July 11, 2024 from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM. Coats Funeral Home is located at 3141 Sashabaw Rd. Waterford, MI 48329.
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