William Longhway Sargent

William Longhway Sargent, ("Billy", "Sarge"), age 79 of Bend, Oregon died in an auto accident on December 16, 2025. Billy grew up in Wabasha, Minnesota and graduated from Wabasha High School in 1964. He attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, until his enlistment in the US Army 1st Air Calvary. He served two tours of duty as a medic in Vietnam, returning home in 1970.
Billy received his BA degree from Metropolitan State College in Minneapolis in 1975. He then spent several years living and studying at the Findhorn Spiritual Community in Findhorn, Scotland. This experience imbued all of his remaining life. His view was always upwards and towards the light.
Bill relocated to San Francisco, CA in 1979 and earned his MA in education from Stanford University in 1982. Billy pursued a career of teaching High School classes in English composition and digital photography in San Francisco, and later in Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA. About this time, Bill established his spiritual home in Lone Pine, California, in view of Mount Whitney, and cherished his sense of this place ever since.
He met his future wife Carol Barrett while pursuing his PhD degree from The Union Institute. Bill was awarded his PhD in 1991. In 1992, Bill and Carol married in San Francisco. Their daughter Sarah was born in 1993 and the family shortly afterward moved to Battle Ground and later Longview, WA. After retiring from teaching, Billy moved to Bend, where he lived until his death. Bill enjoyed meeting new people and connecting with his community while driving for Uber.
He was preceded in death by his father William Burnell Sargent, his mother Clara Alice Longhway Sargent, and James Louis Sargent, brother. He is survived by his daughter, Sarah Caryl Sargent, Carol Barrett, his ex-wife, John (Ruth) Sargent, brother, and Michael Sargent, brother.
Bill's generous and magnanimous nature endeared him with all he met throughout his life.