Obituary of Bill Lee Wombacher

Beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and friend of many, Bill Wombacher left his earthly tent for his eternal home on May 5, 2016. Born September 6, 1934 in Clarkdale, Bill Lee “Wild Bill” Wombacher was a lifelong resident of Arizona, spent largely in the Verde Valley except for a short blip in California. A few month stint in California after graduating from Clarkdale High School in 1952 was enough to send him packin’ back to his home state for good. The family’s Arizona pioneering history saw Bill growing up in the towns of Cherry Creek, Camp Verde, Dos Cabezas in southern Arizona, and ultimately back to Clarkdale and the Valley he called home until his passing. Hard work and a determined effort to provide well for his family, lead Bill to a successful masonry contracting career where many homes, churches, commercial buildings and schools in the area and around northern Arizona bear his efforts. In addition to his business and artistic talents in his trade, Bill enjoyed a host of diversions, accomplished in them all, that included hunting, fishing, boating, water skiing, guitar playing and songwriting, “yarn spinnin”, fly fishing and fly tying, gold panning, gardening, cooking and baking, canning, western movie buff, dabbler in the stock market and world traveler - yes, he packed it all in and would be the first to tell you he’d lived a charmed life. A quote from Abraham Lincoln best sums up how Bill lived his life: “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years,” and he managed to squeeze out every drop! What Bill was most proud of throughout his life though, was the endearing relationships established with family and friends - friends, and he had a ton of ‘em, you know who you are! Bill was predeceased by his parents, Clarence “Cherry” and Norma “Normie” Wombacher, his loving wife Delores Wombacher, and stepson Kenneth Mead “Charlie”. He leaves behind a son Dane (Kathy), two daughters Cam Islas (Amador), Debra Wombacher Finley (Greg Woodson), several grandchildren and great grandchildren, a brother Steve Wombacher (Kathy) and his family. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, Arizona on Saturday, June 18, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. with a eulogy and special tribute at 12:00. Please come and join family and friends for food, guitar playin’ (or whatever instrument you play, bring it!) and we’re goin’ long on storytelling and lots of laughter per Bill’s request. If you have a story or photograph of a time you had with Bill, we are putting together videos, photos and stories told by his friends and family for the occasion. Please send to Bill’s home address: PO Box 484, Cottonwood, AZ 86326. If questions, please call Dane at 928-300-9945, Cam Islas at 928-301-1892 or Debra Wombacher Finley at 928-301-6502. Visit www.buelerfuneralhome.com for comments, stories and posts.