William "bill" Fernandez

WILLIAM "BILL" FERNANDEZ Circa 1918. James Fernandez and Rose Fernandez, the parents of Bill, left the drudgery of farm life in northern Spain and set out at a young age for the excitement and opportunity of the "New World". They did not know each other in Spain but came by boat separately. They met in Cuba, became engaged and married, and Bill, their only child, was born in Havana in 1922. This was a prosperous time and the period of the "Roaring 20's" in the United States. When he was still at a young age, they left Cuba and legally emigrated to the United States and settled in Detroit, Mich. They soon became U.S. citizens. Bill grew up in Detroit and attended grammar school, junior and high school there. His dad purchased an automotive repair shop in Detroit and there Bill learned the automotive trade. Upon graduation from high school, he proudly joined the Michigan State Troopers and soon received a gold medal award for "outstanding heroism" for jumping in a river and saving a drowning man. Subsequently, World War II broke out and he joined the U.S. Army and received the Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal as he served in Burma. He also received a good conduct medal with a bronze star and World War II victory medal. After the end of the war, he followed his parents to California and there, around 1947, his Dad purchased the "Douglas" gas station and adjacent automotive repair shop on the corner of Merrill and Magnolia. There his family served the Magnolia Center area with honest and reliable automotive service for several years, making many friends with the surrounding community. Then in 1961 Bill studied and obtain his real estate license and worked for other brokers in the Magnolia Center area. Then in 1967 he opened his own office in the Arlington area and worked in real estate for several years until his retirement. In his retirement he loved more than anything to go with his family in his motor home and some of his favorite places were "Newport Dunes" and the "River". Many times he would go with the grandkids to Glamis Sand Dunes and they would take turns riding with him in the Rhino his daughter had purchased for him. At the end, he had entered the hospital for a routine treatment and it turned into a major battle for his life which went on for more than 2 1/2 months in the hospital with his mind remaining totally alert until the end. He put up a valiant battle, with his family right at his side everyday, including all 4 nurses in the family and was finally winning and getting closer to being discharged when a tragic error led to his sudden death on July 9, 2012. He was a member of the Church of Christ. He died as a God-fearing man who loved his wife, Donna, of more than 62 years of marriage, more than anything in this world and his three children: Bill Fernandez, Kathy Allen, Lori Miller, and his 3 grandchildren: Natalie Allen, Lauren Allen, Steven Miller. He is also survived by 2 cousins who were orphaned at an early age and raised by Bill's parents: J. Gonzalez and Aurora Fall of Maryland. Private services were conducted earlier this month for the family and he was buried at the VA cemetery. TO DAD (GRANDPA): "In the not too distant future, we will be with you again and see you, hug you, love you, talk to you and live with you again for all eternity. We are looking so forward to this." Your entire family.