William "Bill" Henry Astle Jr., 82, passed away peacefully at home in Otsego, Nov. 17, 2016, wrapped in the love of family and friends, and in the care of Allegan Wings of Hope Hospice.
Bill was born Jan. 11, 1934, in Camas, Wash., the third child and first son of William "Butsy" Astle and Catherine "Vonnie" (Furlotte) Astle. By the age of 3 he and his family moved to Plainwell, where his dad was a foreman at the paper mill. Bill was president of his senior class and an all-star athlete in basketball, baseball, and football. In 2012, he was honored to be inducted into the Plainwell High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Bill spent four years in the United States Air Force and then attended Western Michigan University. He married Sally Bowers in 1963 and was blessed with four daughters.
Bill was an art director for International Paper Company and a purchasing manager for Flexfab, which brought him to Hastings in the 1980s. He left the business world to be resident manager of YMCA Camp Manitoulin for 14 years, which he said was the best job he ever had.
He married Judy Hughes in 1996, and in retirement continued working for Amway, Camp Henry and Heifer International. Judy and Bill returned to Michigan to live in Otsego in 2008.
Over the years Bill was a member at Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, and Presbyterian churches. He was passionate about the outdoors, skiing, cycling, backpacking, and photography, and became an avid adaptive skier and cyclist since 2004, conquering Hemlock in a monoski at his beloved Timber Ridge dozens of times.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, "Butsy" and "Vonnie" Astle; his sister Beverly Madden (Bill); brother-in-law George McLaughlin (Betty); and first wife Sally (Bowers) Astle.
He is survived by wife Judy Astle; sisters, Betty McLaughlin and Barbara Pleyte (Gary); four daughters, Sarah Dean (Jeff), Connie Fox, Laura Benevides (Carl) and Rebecca Allen; step-children Ben Hughes (Jennifer) and Jennifer Robelli (Erik); and grandchildren, Meghan Fox, Nick Meyers, Tyler Robelli, Maxwell Benevides, Ben Fox, Aiden Hughes, Ethan Hughes, Celia Robelli and Eliana Robelli. He is also survived by eight nephews and three nieces, and their children and grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be Friday, Nov. 25, at 5 p.m. at Timber Ridge. Visitation begins at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Bill Astle Fund at Timber Ridge Ski Area, 07500 23 1/2 St., Gobles, MI 49055.
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