Bill Carpenter

Bill Carpenter had a fierce love of his family. A wonderful supporter, he cherished his role as a hard worker and strong provider for his wife and children. Compassionate and caring, perhaps the greatest legacy that he leaves behind is the family he so loved. Gone too soon, he will be greatly missed by his many special friends and family.

It is completely fitting that Bill arrived in the 1960s which were known as the era of optimism. At the beginning of this promising decade in our nation’s history, Sam and Helga (Frank) Carpenter welcomed home their newborn son, William, on December 22, 1961. Born the oldest and only son of four siblings, his birth gave them much hope and happiness.

Growing up on Goguac Lake in Battle Creek, Bill lived a childhood full of adventure. He loved anything about the water. During the warm summer months, he enjoyed waterskiing and driving the boat around the lake with friends. In the winter months, he and his buddies played ice hockey on the lake. Active and outgoing, he and his good buddies loved spending time together outside!

Bill loved all sports. From swinging a baseball bat, to gliding down a ski slope, to tackling his opponent on the football field, Bill was all about athletics. His talents on the greens as well as the local ball fields were known at a young age. When he was young there was even a write up in the local paper about his skills playing Little League. Any amount of time he was playing sports was time well spent in his opinion, especially when it came to football. He even loved a good game of chess! He and his dad shared this love of sports; they enjoyed playing catch, watching Michigan football games, and hitting the links together as father and son.

Always studious as well as ambitious, he held a part-time job while also playing football on his high school team. After graduating with the Class of 1980 from Battle Creek Lakeview High School, he set off to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan, his dream school. Bill earned his undergraduate degree in economics and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He enjoyed his college years and was a long-time member of the fraternity, Delta Upsilon. Bill remained closely connected to his fellow brothers and often attended their events over the years.

Not to be forgotten was the meeting of his sweetheart, Jane Lewis. Their fathers were longtime classmates from law school and knowing a little about her and seeing her on a Lewis family Christmas card, he worked up the nerve to call her up one day and ask her out! The rest was history! Just two years later, they married on July 17,1993 at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Kalamazoo. The happy couple honeymooned in San Francisco before settling back in the Chicago area. Bill, who grew up with three sisters, fit right in and grew close with Jane’s four brothers. Before they knew it, they were starting a family of their own with Sarah in 1995 and Danny joining just a year and a half later.

As a father, Bill was their ultimate cheerleader! He enjoyed coaching Little League, attending countless performances, playing ping pong together, and even packed their lunches for school every day! Whatever they set their hearts to doing, Bill was right there cheering them on from the sidelines. As a family, they enjoyed several trips to their favorite Michigan spot up north: Traverse City! They took many vacations during spring break and always saved some time for Michigan’s Adventure and Cedar Point over the years. Bill enjoyed spending quality time with his kids. He and Danny enjoyed playing any sport under the sun, doing yard work, listening to Danny’s funky music, and playing Michigan checkers. He always wanted to sing with Sarah and loved it when she taught him choreography from her shows. Bill loved to talk about politics, life’s challenges in general, and offer plenty of tips and advice. He loved to boast about their many accomplishments and was always immensely proud of both Sarah and Danny.

His German genes made him a strong provider over the years. He worked at Kellogg for fifteen years and then began working in consumer-packaged goods and focused on the produce industry. Most recently he worked at Produce Depot for nearly ten years. Well-liked by his clients, he was known as the “brussels sprouts guy”! Bill always had an entrepreneurial spirit and was interested in providing the best customer service! It was no surprise that he enjoyed grocery shopping four days a week! He dreamed of owning a business in retirement. Bill often tossed around the idea of opening a Pronto Pup stand or working at a golf course! Any idea always involved bringing joy to others.

He and Jane had many common interests including traveling. They bought a timeshare in Traverse City where they loved to entertain special friends and Bill served on the Board of Directors. They also spent much of their time in quiet moments together relaxing and enjoying evening walks or time playing in golf leagues. Mastering their special spaghetti sauce and growing tomatoes became treasured hobbies over recent years.

Bill and Jane shared a love of their faith and were active members of Southridge Reformed Church. He loved spending time with people and often would take guys out to lunch who needed extra support or a listening ear. A lover of all people, he had a gift for making others feel special and was a joyful presence. Bill’s ability to connect with people is one of his greatest gifts. His laughter could fill up any room! Deeply devoted to his faith and his family, Bill lived his life richly blessed with memories of celebrating special times with family and friends. May they hold his memories dear and fondly reflect on the many ways he generously shared his love with each and every one of them.

William “Bill” Carpenter, age 59, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, died unexpectedly on June 9, 2021. His sales career spanned working transportation, consumer goods, and produce. He was preceded in death by his father, Samuel Carpenter, and Steve Heeter. Surviving are his wife of 28 years, Jane; two children: Sarah and Danny Carpenter; his mother, Helga Carpenter; three siblings: Dr. Linda Carpenter (David Inman), Lisa (Gerhard) Hillmann, and Leslie (Steve) Lynn; in-laws: John (Tammie) Lewis, Tom (Rebecca) Lewis, David (Robyn) Lewis, and Jim (Karen) Lewis; mother-in-law, Jeanene Lewis, and many nieces and nephews. Cremation will take place. Visit with family and friends on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, from 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM at Southridge Church 6726 Texas Drive where the funeral service will be held Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at 11 AM. Please visit Bill’s personal web page at www.BetzlerLifeStory.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo, and sign his online guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to Southridge Church or the Alzheimer’s Association. Betzler Life Story Funeral Home, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.