William Thomas "Bill Higgins" Higgins Jr

William Thomas Higgins Jr. was born on November 21, 1939, in Fresno, CA, and passed into eternal life on June 1, 2024. He married the love of his life, Janet Baker, on June 4, 1960. The young sweethearts raised three children: Will III, Alan, and Robin.
In 1972, Bill was called to the pastoral life. The family moved to Salem for Bill to attend Bible college. After graduating in 1976, they moved to Kuna, ID, to the first of many churches Bill would lead as Pastor. From there, they lived in Whitefish, MT, and then back to Salem, OR. In 1987, Bill and Jan moved to the Tri-Cities and became pastors in Burbank, WA. It was here that they finally laid down roots to stay. Bill became a staple in the community. If he wasn't at The Hungry Horse or Francisco's having coffee you could find him at the fire station or any Columbia-Burbank sporting events.
Even though the preacher life was his calling, Bill always had other jobs. Throughout the years, he drove trucks and milked cows. He worked as a school custodian for many years in Burbank and was a volunteer chaplain/EMT in every town he lived in. In 2002, Bill would finish his pastoral career at Grace Baptist Church in Kennewick, where he would retire in 2007.
In 1981, Bill and Jan became grandparents. This was possibly the greatest joy of his life. As an avid outdoorsman, Bill tried to pass on his love of fishing to all eight grandkids. The numerous times he was snagged by a kid's hook never deterred him. He also loved to garden. He spent countless hours growing irises (Janet's favorite), fruit trees, and veggies. We will always remember pulling weeds with him and listening to his reverse whistle.
He loved to play basketball and spent numerous hours on the court. This was another hobby he passed on to many of his grandchildren. One of his biggest boasts was that he once shot 82 free throws in a row. Papa was also an avid guitar player. In his later years, Bill and his longtime friend, Don Ohman, could often be found playing at senior centers around town.
Bill never met a stranger and made friends easily. His contagious smile and kind encouragement put people at ease. Or maybe it was his awful, corny jokes. This man started Dad Jokes!
He will be greatly missed by his wife, three children, eight grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, church family, countless friends and the many people he led to the Lord. A celebration of Bill's life and service will take place on June 15 at 2 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church in Kennewick.