William W. Turnbull (75), passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 19, 2023, his wife and daughters were by his side.
William, better known as Bill, was born to Robert and Loretta Turnbull, on June 5, 1947, in Los Angeles, California. Bill was an adventurous younger man; he met the love of his life MaryAnn Soto in 1975. They were married in 1977 and had started a family, he accepted a job at Boeing in 1979 and moved the family to Washington. He spent his life enjoying his family and creating many memories. Bill worked at Boeing until he retired, after retirement Bill and MaryAnn took many trips enjoying each other but ensuring they were never too far from the ones they loved.
Bill was preceded in death by his son Willam Turnbull Jr., his parents Robert and Loretta, stepfather Dick (Richard) Rivers, and four brothers, George Turnbull and wife Juanita, Hoppie (Robert) Turnbull, Earl (Richard) Turnbull and wife Kitty, and Thomas Turnbull, he was the youngest of five boys and the last of his generation, also preceded in death by his friend and father-in-law Manuel Soto. He is survived by his best friend and loving wife MaryAnn Turnbull, his daughter Diane (Joe) Gabelein, his daughter Christina (Aj) Turnbull-Agnew, grandkids Ben, Brooke, Zach, Drew, William, Anthony, Krisann, Milisa, Sarrah, Jennifer, great grandkids Alayna, Lily and Gracie. He is also survived by his mother-in-law Carol Ann Soto, his brother and sister-in-laws Sharon Turnbull, Manuel (Sandra) Soto, Donna Swegle, Ralph (Melinda) Soto, Ramona Thomas, Carmen (Michelle) Soto and a tribe of nieces and nephews.
Bill dedicated his life to his family but still found the time to enjoy various hobbies. Some of his hobbies included Harley’s, family history, shooting, model sets and laser engraving. Bill was a loving husband, a wonderful father, a great uncle, a caring friend, and the best papa! He will always be remembered for the stories he shared, the love he gave, his sense of humor, and that smile! He put up a good fight to be here for his family. Heaven gained another angel, and we’ll look for you on the bench at the pearly gates, you can show us the
way. We will love you today, tomorrow, and always!
At Bill’s request there will be no funeral or memorial service. Instead, I will close with a poem that reflects what he wished:
He Is Gone by David Harkins
You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he’ll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all he’s left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him, or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him only that he is gone, or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what he’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
