William E. Reese

Bill grew up and attended school in Enterprise. After graduating high school in 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a Seabee in several locations throughout the South Pacific. After an honorable discharge from the Navy, he married his high school sweetheart, Patty L. Grant, on Feb. 25, 1956, in Portland, Ore. They began their new life together in San Francisco. They were later sealed in the Oakland, Calif., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple. The couple were blessed with four children.

While in California, Bill began his lifelong dream of a career in law enforcement and worked in San Francisco, Livermore and Union City, Calif. In 1971, he joined the Clarkston Police Department, retiring with the rank of lieutenant in 1984. He then went to work for the Arizona Department of Corrections. After a few years, he and family returned to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley to live. Bill then worked as a corrections deputy for the Asotin and Latah county sheriff's offices until 1998. He had a hard time taking off the badge and worked as a security officer for Bitterroot Security. Many have known Bill as the friendly security officer at Costco in Clarkston, where he continued to work until his health made it impossible to do so.

Bill is survived by his wife of 59 years, Patty Reese; children Randy Reese (Melinda) of Rexburg, Idaho, Lisa Kirk (Chuck) of Spokane Valley, Wash., Eric Reese (Deana) and Chris Reese (Aubrey) of Lewiston; sister Faye Hubbard (Art) of La Grande, Ore.; 16 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Fern and Viola; and by a granddaughter, Lillian.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 836 Preston Ave., Lewiston. The family will receive visitors one hour prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the St. Jude Research Hospital to end childhood cancer.