1938
William
2020
William Closson Decker
August 29, 1938 — January 14, 2020
William “Bill” Closson Decker of Roseburg, Oregon, passed away Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at the age of 81.
Bill was born in Bellingham, WA to Leroy and Vida Decker on August 29, 1938 joining his older brother, Robert. Bill grew up on a family farm of pasture and forest lands exploring every inch of the 80 acres, helping raise beef cows and chickens. As a young man, he joined 4H and FFA at Mount Baker High School, showing beef. Bill graduated in 1956 and two months later joined the Marines. He served in Pearl Harbor before returning stateside and becoming a bugler for the Pacific Marine Corp. band touring the west coast.
Bill met and married Wanda Bullion in 1963, and together they had two daughters Cynthia and Mary Kathleen. After 8 years of marriage, they went their separate ways and Bill moved to Roseburg, OR. There he met Louise Weeks and they married in 1975.
Bill was a career Logger working 20 years for Conifer Douglas Logging and then for Independent Thinning Inc. He did what needed to be done from the bottom up. His yarder skills make the choker setters and whistle blowers keep both eyes on his logs. At one point he and his company won an Outstanding Logging Award in a team competition.
Bill was a member of The Elks Lodge, The Loyal Order of Moose and the Umpqua Rock and Gem Club. He was a Master Gardener volunteering many hours in the Umpqua Community college garden, shoveling manure, growing bonsai trees and grafting oriental red maples. He loved working in his flower and vegetable gardens giving away samples to all his friends and neighbors. The last job he held was at Maplewood Nursery.
Bill is preceded in death by his wife of 35 years, Louise; brother and sister-in-law Robert and Donna Decker; and step-son Mark Weeks.
Bill is survived by daughters Cynthia (John) Alsum of Lynden, WA and Mary Kathleen “Kathy” (Robert) Foster of Casper, WY; stepdaughter Terri Weeks-Carlisle of Roseburg, OR; grandchildren Jess (Jackie) Alsum of Lynden, Jacob (Chelsea) Alsum of Sumas, James (Hazel) Alsum of Bristol, UK, and Brittney Alsum of Lynden; great-grandchildren Hunter, Tyler, Owen, Judah, Skylar, Thaddaeus, Kira, Zacchaeus and one more on the way; nieces Roxanne Decker and Deanna Decker both of San Francisco, CA, and nephew John Decker of Redding, CA, and many extended family and friends.
Memorials may be made to Douglas County Master Gardeners, P.O. Box 1165, Roseburg, OR, 97470.
You are invited to join family and friends for Bill’s memorial service at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, at Wilsons Chapel of the Roses, 965 W. Harvard Blvd., Roseburg, OR 97471. You may leave memories and condolences in the online guestbook at www.wilsonschapeloftherosesfh.com .
To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of
William Closson Decker, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.
Bill was born in Bellingham, WA to Leroy and Vida Decker on August 29, 1938 joining his older brother, Robert. Bill grew up on a family farm of pasture and forest lands exploring every inch of the 80 acres, helping raise beef cows and chickens. As a young man, he joined 4H and FFA at Mount Baker High School, showing beef. Bill graduated in 1956 and two months later joined the Marines. He served in Pearl Harbor before returning stateside and becoming a bugler for the Pacific Marine Corp. band touring the west coast.
Bill met and married Wanda Bullion in 1963, and together they had two daughters Cynthia and Mary Kathleen. After 8 years of marriage, they went their separate ways and Bill moved to Roseburg, OR. There he met Louise Weeks and they married in 1975.
Bill was a career Logger working 20 years for Conifer Douglas Logging and then for Independent Thinning Inc. He did what needed to be done from the bottom up. His yarder skills make the choker setters and whistle blowers keep both eyes on his logs. At one point he and his company won an Outstanding Logging Award in a team competition.
Bill was a member of The Elks Lodge, The Loyal Order of Moose and the Umpqua Rock and Gem Club. He was a Master Gardener volunteering many hours in the Umpqua Community college garden, shoveling manure, growing bonsai trees and grafting oriental red maples. He loved working in his flower and vegetable gardens giving away samples to all his friends and neighbors. The last job he held was at Maplewood Nursery.
Bill is preceded in death by his wife of 35 years, Louise; brother and sister-in-law Robert and Donna Decker; and step-son Mark Weeks.
Bill is survived by daughters Cynthia (John) Alsum of Lynden, WA and Mary Kathleen “Kathy” (Robert) Foster of Casper, WY; stepdaughter Terri Weeks-Carlisle of Roseburg, OR; grandchildren Jess (Jackie) Alsum of Lynden, Jacob (Chelsea) Alsum of Sumas, James (Hazel) Alsum of Bristol, UK, and Brittney Alsum of Lynden; great-grandchildren Hunter, Tyler, Owen, Judah, Skylar, Thaddaeus, Kira, Zacchaeus and one more on the way; nieces Roxanne Decker and Deanna Decker both of San Francisco, CA, and nephew John Decker of Redding, CA, and many extended family and friends.
Memorials may be made to Douglas County Master Gardeners, P.O. Box 1165, Roseburg, OR, 97470.
You are invited to join family and friends for Bill’s memorial service at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, at Wilsons Chapel of the Roses, 965 W. Harvard Blvd., Roseburg, OR 97471. You may leave memories and condolences in the online guestbook at www.wilsonschapeloftherosesfh.com .
To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of
William Closson Decker, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William Closson Decker, please visit our flower store.
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