William Robert VanNoy died peacefully on June 15, 2021, while in hospice care at Montesano Health and Rehab in Montesano, Washington after a long battle with diabetes, kidney failure, and other health complications, at the age of 69. He is survived by his wife, Karen, and their son, Gharett.

William “Bill” VanNoy was born on Aug. 20, 1951 in Tacoma, Washington to Helen and Ed VanNoy, with siblings Marie and Jim. He attended Federal Way High School followed by Pacific Lutheran University.

He worked for many years as a merchant seaman. He was a crewman on various ships, sailing routes along the California coast, around the Hawaiian Islands, and to Alaska, Russia and Japan.

He met Karen Britton and then married her on June 15, 1991 in a ceremony in a campground on the Ohanapecosh river. They had one child, Gharett VanNoy, who was born August 29, 1993. Bill lived in Grays Harbor County for 32 years and in their country home in Montesano for 23 years.

In spite of numerous long-term health issues, Bill remained merry, loving and humorous throughout his life. He touched the lives of everyone he met, especially those of his relatives and family. He had a deep and abiding love for nature and wilderness, and spent his life traveling, hiking, bird watching, backpacking and experiencing the most our world had to offer.

Private family services were held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Wildlife Federation https://support.nwf.org/.

Cremation arrangements were entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, Washington.