William Kissinger

William “Bill” Kissinger of Plainwell, MI was born on October 10th, 1935 to his parents Charles and Wilma (Keefer) Kissinger. He joined his older brother Wayne, and would later be followed by siblings David, Joyce and Linda.

Growing up, Bill spent much of his childhood on his grandmother’s farm where he later would start his first job at 17. Following that he worked at Valley Metal and later found his home at United Parcel Service (UPS) where he eventually retired after 29 years of service. Bill preferred to keep busy by way of serving others, he spent time as a volunteer firefighter and also took a job delivering flowers during retirement.

This desire to always be on the go was not just isolated to his work life but carried over into his family life as well. He could often be found joining the neighborhood pick-up football and basketball games that were usually hosted at his home. His grandchildren recall him riding a unicycle up and down the driveway, just because he could, and cruising around Plainwell on his moped. Bill loved to travel and would take the opportunity to do so with his loved ones whenever possible. He and his wife of 66 years Nancy took many trips across country in their motorhome and in later years would venture down to Florida together each winter. The couple enjoyed their trips together but also those with friends and family, including an annual motorhome trip to Cedar Point with their grandkids. When the travelling days slowed down, Bill found ways to stay busy around the house. He loved bird watching and also took to gardening a plot of vegetables in the back yard. He always had new gadgets and technology to keep an eye on the animals outside and happenings around his house. He invested in the newest bird feeders and anti-squirrel devices as a source of entertainment for not only him but his children and grandchildren as well. He built a saloon style porch/sunroom off the back of his garage where many enjoyed a beer and backyard view. He managed all of this but would still make that phone call for help on how to use his new TV remote.

Bill was known and loved by many as he left a lasting impression wherever he went. Many will remember him by his laugh. He may have been the founding father of “dad jokes” and always kept the crowd laughing, especially at family gatherings.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Wilma (Keefer) Kissinger; his wife Nancy (Anspaugh) Kissinger; his siblings Wayne Kissinger, David Kissinger and Joyce Pierce.

Bill is survived by his sister Linda (Mark) Shipley and sister in-law Pat Kissinger; children Todd (Melissa) Kissinger and Tammy (Tony) Rickli; his four grandchildren Ashley Kissinger, Amber Baldwin, Ashley De Vries and Casey Rickli; six great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews.

Bill leaves behind cherished memories and a lasting legacy of laughter and love.