Bill and Bette Werner
William (Bill) E. Werner, 85, peacefully passed away September 21, 2009, in Carson City. Born July 19, 1924, in Wellington, Nev., to Albert Raymond Werner and Audrey Atcheson Werner, Bill spent his life raising a family with his wife, Bette Smith, and pursuing his passion of building and repairing automobiles. The owner of two successful businesses, Smith Valley Garage and Werner's Machine Shop, Bill believed that "if you find a job you like, you really never work a day in your life."
Bill faced the adversities in his life, such as having polio and nearly losing the ability to walk, with courage and never lost his sense of optimism. He was a family man and a friend to all, a fact that was easy to believe considering his witty sense of humor and endless supply of blonde jokes. Bill is survived by his three children; Larry Werner and wife Marie, of Minden, Nancy Oakley and husband Larry, of Reno, and Linda Bowman and husband Shane, of Dayton, six grandchildren; Eric Werner and wife Lorraine, Aaron Werner and wife Christie, Marc Oakley and wife Araitz, Ross Oakley, Matt Bowman and wife Christa, and Michelle Bowman, one beautiful great-granddaughter; Samantha Werner, and more friends and extended family than one could count. He is predeceased by his wife Bette, the love of his life to whom he was married for over 50 years.
A celebration of Bill's life will be held on Saturday, October 10, at 4:30 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 780 Del Monte Lane, Reno. The family requests that he be honored by a toast to the joy of life and the sharing of a good Bill Werner story. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in his honor to a charity of your choice.