Longtime Hoquiam resident William ”Bill” Luther Wieland, 84, passed away peacefully with family at his side on April 3, 2023, at his home in Hoquiam, following a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Bill was born in Hoquiam on December 7, 1938, to Eula (Elmer) and Orbrey Wieland. He was a student at Emerson Elementary and Hoquiam Junior High, graduating from Hoquiam High School in 1957. He excelled in football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was Hoquiam High’s athlete of the year in 1957 and had numerous stand-out games as a back and defensive player. He was also an excellent singer, providing music at numerous weddings and other occasions and performing the lead in “Brigadoon.”
He worked on the “green chain” at one of the local mills and enjoyed hunting and fishing all over the Chehalis Valley. He spent summers helping the family at their cabin on Totten Inlet, digging out the hard clay for a basement and carport but also enjoying swimming, fishing and boating at a treasured family place.
At Grays Harbor Community College, he continued displaying his football talents on the field, breaking numerous school records as a back and earning Junior College All-American honors.
On September 19, 1959, he married Carole (Love) Wieland at Saron Lutheran Church in Hoquiam. The couple had already moved to Seattle, where Carole worked for Bell Telephone and Bill pumped gas near their home on Capitol Hill. He attended the University of Washington and earned his degree in teaching and history.
Bill graduated from the University of Washington in 1961 and began a 32-year teaching and coaching career, all but one of those years occurring at Foster High School in Tukwila. He was a backs and safeties coach for the 1966 Seamount League Champion team and was a mentor and inspiration for many players who still remember him as “Coach.” He coached track, wrestling, and tennis, helping his teams to additional championships in the latter two. In his last several years at Foster, he was the athletic director. In addition to his U.S. history classes, he also taught astronomy and computer courses. Neighborhood kids in Kent will remember astronomy nights in the 1970’s, looking at the moon and planets through Bill’s father-in-law’s 16-inch telescope.
In the late 60’s, he worked summers on the school district painting crew, and experience there led to beginning his own summer house painting business which continued until 2006.
Son Kurt was born while Bill was coaching a Foster track meet in April of 1966, and daughter Karin followed in January of 1968. After a number of years in Federal Way, in 1971 the family moved to Kent, where Bill and Carole resided until 2007. Their yard was a cornucopia of vegetable gardens, berry crops and their pride and joy, rhododendrons.
Bill retired from teaching in 1993 and purchased several cabin cruisers, one of which was moored at Des Moines marina and was a vehicle for many fun explorations of Puget Sound.
In 2006, Bill moved back to Hoquiam and began planning the remodeling of Carole’s childhood home, and they moved back to that home above the harbor in 2007. Bill remained very busy as a volunteer at the Hoquiam Food Bank, the Hoquiam schools committee, the Sunset Cemetery Board, and was vice-president of the Polson Museum, shepherding the purchase of a logging locomotive for restoration in recent years. He was recognized as a Hoquiam Hero several years ago in a surprise event at a Hoquiam High basketball game. He and Carole faithfully attended their high school reunions.
If Hoquiam is the Friendliest City, Bill was one of its most friendly citizens. He could have a conversation with anyone and be truly interested in them as people. He was selfless in helping neighbors, family and friends in any capacity and always had a friendly demeanor, positive outlook, and a bright smile for all; everyone who knew him will remember his infectious and tuneful whistling and humming.
Bill remained a life-long Husky, attending games as a season ticket holder for more than 50 years and driving down to Pasadena for several Rose Bowls with son Kurt; he also had season tickets for the Seattle Seahawks from their inaugural season in 1976 up to 2021. Many of those games were attended with his son, but Bill was generous in handing out tickets to lots of folks over the years! He and Carole enjoyed listening to the Metropolitan Opera, watching British murder mysteries, taking trips to Long Beach, Seaside, Depot Bay and Ocean Shores, and going to the Grays Harbor College crab feed fundraiser, even though Bill couldn’t eat crab. They also watched the Seattle Mariners faithfully, persevering through many frustrating seasons. Bill always attended the high school football championships in Tacoma and ran the clock at basketball and football games at Foster High School for decades, resulting in the school stadium’s press box being named in his honor. He enjoyed family genealogy, yard work, Sudoku puzzles, lazy summer days at the family cabin, and family trips to California, Oregon, Mt. Rainier and the North Cascades. He and Carole also welcomed family visitors from Norway and South Dakota. Additionally, Bill was a frequent trailhead shuttle driver for his son and daughter on their many cross-mountain backpacking trips in the Cascades and Olympics. He was an active follower of American politics and was curious about many topics. He subscribed to several astronomy magazines for over 50 years.
Bill remained an active member of the community until his health started to decline in late fall of 2022. He was a loving and protective father, uncle, brother and grandpa, and taught valuable life lessons to all in his family circle, as well as being a caring owner of numerous dogs over the years.
Bill is survived by his wife Carole at the family home, his son Kurt (Christine) Wieland, his grandchildren, Adam and Elise Divens, son-in-law Marc Divens, and numerous nieces and nephews who will remember him fondly.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Eula and Orbrey Wieland, his brother Orbrey (Sharilyn) Wieland, sister Betty Jean and brother-in-law Howard Ray, mother- and father-in-law Thelma and Paul Love, nephew James Wieland, and in a very difficult, inexplicable loss, his daughter Karin Divens in 2017.
The family would like to thank Dr. Clara Shin, Harbors Home Health and Hospice, for helping to make Bill’s final weeks as comfortable as possible, and our amazing caregiver, Elizabeth Gomez, for her daily morning and afternoon visits, caring for Bill and keeping Carole company. Thanks also to all the friends, neighbors, ex-students, teaching colleagues and relatives who stopped in over the past weeks to say goodbye.
Cremation arrangements are by Coleman Mortuary of Hoquiam.
A private urn committal at Sunset Cemetery and a celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Please record your thoughts and memories for the family by signing the on-line register at www. Colemanmortuary.net.
Memorials in tribute to Bill are suggested to the Hoquiam Food Bank, Polson Museum, the University of Washington, and any environmental charity.
“Go Dawgs.”
