William Henry Beal passed away March 28 in Tucson, Ariz., with his wife and family beside him.

Bill was born Feb. 24, 1937, in Lorella, near Klamath Falls, to Orion and Florice (Brown) Beal.

Bill joined two brothers, Larry and Charley, and a sister, Betty. In 1938, they moved to Vale. Bill’s dad worked at numerous jobs in the Vale area. In 1938, the family bought a 22-acre farm, three miles east of Vale on the banks of the Malheur River, and a brother, Bruce, was born. All the kids grew up there swimming, fishing, hunting, and trapping. Another brother, Alan, was born in 1944. Two more rooms were added to the house and water was plumbed in fr cooking and washing. A bathroom was added after Bill left home in 1958.

Farmers would seek Bill out to work for them because of his ability to drive trucks, tractors, and combines, or stack hay, and because he was dependable.

In 1957, Bill went to work for the Oregon Highway Department (ODOT) to start his 20-year career in surveying and road construction all over Oregon.

In October 1958, Bill and Grace King were married. Bill transferred from Vale to Ontario, Newport, Albany and Salem. During this time, three sons were born, William (Will), Denis, and Mike. In April 1963, Bill and Grace divorced.

Bill transferred to Roseburg as a quality control engineer for all highway road construction projects in the six southwest Oregon counties. During this time, the I-5 freeway was built from Eugene to the California border, and there were many secondary highway projects.

Bill married Loraine Newsom in 1966 and they built a small home west of Roseburg. They picnicked a lot with Bill’s dad and stepmother, Mary, Alan and his wife, Ruth, and Bill’s boys when they were around. Bill, Bruce, and Alan enjoyed fishing and hunting deer and elk. Bill and Loraine divorced in 1973.

Bill transferred back to Salem to be the head inspector on the six-lane section of I-5 from Salem to Wilsonville. He bought a 10-acre farm in Brooks, and married Linda Fleming from Vale, who moved to Brooks with her four children, Wendell and Warren Gillespie, and Alan and Ann Fleming. Bill adopted Alan and Ann the next year. They attended the Labish Community Church where Bill and Warren were baptized. Bill and Linda became 4-H leaders, a position they held for 20 years. Bill took a land surveying class at Chemeketa Community College in 1976.

In July 1977, Bill transferred to the Oregon Water Resources Department and was appointed watermaster of District 10 headquarters in Burns.

They purchased 32 acres in Burns and built a five-bedroom home, complete with a shop, barn and corrals. They raised horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs at different times in their life at the farm. The children all graduated from Burns High School.

Bill enjoyed his job as watermaster, especially helping the farmers and ranchers receive their water from streams, rivers, and reservoirs, and applying for water rights from springs, stream reservoirs, and wells.

After retirement, Bill did consulting work at the airport, dairy farms, surveying, and water-use reporting.

Bill and Warren and Shirley Gillespie own 173 acres northwest of Burns that allows them to receive deer and elk tags each year, and a quiet getaway.

In August 2008, Linda passed away. Bill sold the farm and moved to Redmond, on a five-acre parcel with a home and shop. His brother, Alan and wife, and two nieces lived there. Bill’s sons would come from the Willamette Valley to ride ATVs and camp.

Bill married Margaret Wattier Dec. 15, 2012, and moved her from Salem to Redmond. They remodeled their home to fit their lifestyle. They enjoyed going on cruises, traveling in their travel trailer, camping near the beach and at lakes and rivers, the wildlife on their five acres, squirrels, deer, birds, and rabbits. Family and friends were always welcomed and enjoyed visiting.

Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret, and her children, Mark (Kathy), and Lisa (Larry) Cummings and their children; sister, Betty Clegg; brother, Alan (Ruth); sons, William, Dennis (Sheryl), and Mike; adopted son, Alan, and daughter, Ann; stepsons, Wendell, and Warren (Shirley) Gillespie; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Orion and Florice Beal; and brothers, Larry, Charley, and Bruce.