William Charles Warfield

1935 - 2015

William Charles (Bill) Warfield, born July 18, 1935 passed away January 16, 2015 at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California at age 79. Bill died from complications of pneumonia and passed away peacefully and quietly with his son William Theodore (Ted) Warfield and close friend, Carol Meyers, at his side. Bill is survived by his brother James Darryl (Jim) Warfield, daughter, Lynn Warfield Westbay and son, Ted Warfield as well as his five grandchildren: Lauren, Paige, Christina, Matthew and David. Bill was born and raised in Paducah, Kentucky living on South 6th Street much of his childhood. He attended Franklin Elementary and Franklin Junior High School before attending Tilghman High School were he was Editor of the school newspaper and graduated salutatorian. During his days at Tilghman, he began his fifty year plus romance with Jane Rosenberg Warfield who passed away in June 2007. After high school graduation, Bill attended Georgia Tech earning a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering. He and Jane married and returned to Paducah where Bill worked for Pennwalt. Bill and Jane settled on Trimble Street just a few doors down from Jane's parents, Dr. and Mrs. Ted Rosenberg. Bill's parents, Pete and Ernestine Warfield, also lived in Paducah at that time but later moved to Ledbetter, Kentucky. Bill's children, Lynn and Ted, were both born at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah. Bill soon took a position with Kaiser Chemical and Aluminum. The family moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana then to Homewood, Illinois. While living in Homewood and working in Chicago, Bill earned his Master's of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University. Soon after completing his degree, the family moved once again, this time to Moraga, California as Bill was assigned to Kaiser Corporate Headquarters in Oakland, California. The family moved back to Baton Rouge and eventually to Danville, California where Bill retired from Kaiser. In 1978, Bill experienced total kidney failure. He was a hemodialysis patient for almost two years before being blessed by kidney transplant surgery. His brother Jim was the kidney donor. Bill embraced his second chance at life and founded his own engineering consulting and instrument sales company, J&B Resources. An avid golfer, Bill held memberships in Sherwood Forest Country Club in Baton Rouge, Blackhawk Country Club in Danville and eventually, as he and Jane permanently retired to Rancho Mirage, California, he became a member of Mission Hills Country Club. It was at Mission Hills that he was able to fully immerse himself in his passion for golf. He participated in Ryder Cup style team golf play representing Mission Hills Country Club from 2000-2014. He was a key member of the SCGA Championship Teams in 2004 and 2007 earning the team's Most Valuable Player honors. Bill served as Captain of the San Jacinto Championship Team in 2010. He played many tournaments at Mission Hills. A fierce competitor, he won regularly. Among his most treasured victories were his four Mission Hills Club Championships. As a thirty-five year kidney transplant patient, Bill set the far end of the life expectancy curve for transplant patients. He was mentally sharp and physically active until the very last days of his life which he lived to the full. He left us with a legacy of hard work and perseverance in the face of the most adverse of circumstances with a sense of humor and honor in all he did. Bill was loved and will be missed by his friends and family.

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