Obituary: Sargent, Willard Earl “Bill”
Bill is lovingly celebrated by his wife, Cheri and three children: Tami (Dave) Schierman, David (Sheila) Sargent and Wendi (Irene Davis) Sargent; five grand- children: Dustin, Trentin (Amber) and Destyni Schierman and Dakota and Mikhaela Sargent; one great grandson, Jude Schierman and his precious little pooch, Bella, who steadfastly remained at his side and enjoyed his generosity with snacks.
Bill is also remembered by his siblings: Leona Sargent, Bob Sargent and Ruth Geaudreau and he enjoyed a very special relationship with his brother and sister-in-law, Ken and Connie Stacy.
Bill was preceded in death by his brother, Carl and sisters, Coral and Coralyn.
Bill worked at the Spokesman Review for over 20 years as Garage Superintendent, and he maintained pride that for his entire employment at the Review, he loved his job and the people he worked with (a big shout out, too, to the staff at the Coach House, which he affectionately called his “office”).
As a mechanic and an all around lover of cars, Bill knew the make and model of every vehicle pre 1970 and could make an engine HUM.
A self taught handyman, Bill added onto or built several homes and made sure that, upon leaving the nest, his kids and grandkids had their own toolboxes and knew how to use them.
Bill was most definitely a foodie, loving to cook and eat heartily and treasuring outings to local dives.
He was also a truth-teller to a fault, with a wicked sense of humor and a capacity to throw out one-liners that could make a sailor blush.
The people who knew Bill best knew they could rely on his unconditional love and kindness and usually had their own special term of endearment.
Though a hunter in his youth, Bill gravitated to caring for and feeding the local wildlife ranging from chickadees and hummingbirds to chipmunks, deer, wild turkey and even the occasional moose.
A proud Hillyardite, Bill attended Rogers High and, following, served in the US Navy, sailing the South Pacific, swimming alongside dolphins and even witnessing atomic testing in Enewetak Atoll.
His military service led to a life-long love of boating, fishing and camping.
Bill was exposed to asbestos aboard ship, which resulted in asbestosis later in life.
Bill was an avid defender of the care he received through the VA, both locally and in Phoenix.
He and his wife most recently split their time between Newman Lake and Sun City, AZ, though he remained a true blue Washingtonian at heart.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that donations be made in Bill’s honor to the Wounded Warrior Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org.