The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

William C. Wyatt, age 81 and a retired Civil Engineer from the Bureau of Reclamation, died peacefully in Spokane, Wash., on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, with family members at his side.

 Bill was born on May 11, 1930, in Scottsbluff, Neb., to the late Perley and Eloise Wyatt. In his early years, he lived the life of a rancher’s son, working the fields and cattle that his parents and grandparents had worked before him. He attended combined grade elementary schools in Harrisburg, Neb., and later attended and graduated high school from Scottsbluff,in 1948.

 After high school, he enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed at San Antonio, Texas, where he met and married his wife, Marie Yolanda Collins, and began their family.

 After being discharged, he attended the University of Wyoming, while raising his family. In 1959, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and soon after began his Civil Engineering career with the Bureau of Reclamation, a career that spanned 29 years during one of the busiest periods in the Bureau of Reclamation for the construction of large concrete dams. Some of the more notable projects he worked on include Yellowtail Dam in Montana, Grand Coulee Dam’s Third Powerhouse, and the Central Arizona Project. During the later years of his career, he worked for the World Bank and the Department of Territorial Affairs, spending time in Saudi Arabia and Guam. Whether he was on the ranch, at work or at home, he enjoyed all types of construction and passed that passion on to his sons.

After retirement, Bill enjoyed fishing and boating on Banks and Roosevelt Lakes while living in Electric City, Washington, and spent winters with his wife in Arizona, where they enjoyed the warmth of the local surroundings and fellow retirees. He also spent many hours serving organizations such as the Masons, Shriners and Lions. Some of the best times of his life were spent traveling, visiting family and friends and enjoying local athletic events, not only when his children and grandchildren were participating but also when other youth were involved. Bill and Yolanda recently moved to Moscow, Idaho.

Bill is survived by his wife of 60 years, Yolanda; his daughter and her husband, Debby Wyatt and Ron Landeck; son and his wife, William C. and Jane; daughter and her husband, Rhonda and Dean Erickson; son and his wife, Randy and Maria; son and his wife, David and Cathryn; 16 grandchildren: Merryl, Evan, Kendyl, Christin, Abby, Melanie, Garrett, Kelcee, Michelle, Danielle, Julie, William Cody, Scott, Natalie, Jacob and Joshua Perley, all of whom he loved, teased and thoroughly enjoyed.

Bill was preceded in death by his son John Perley Wyatt and sister Marlene Deuser.

Cremation has occurred with burial to take place this summer in the family plot in Bridgeport, Nebraska.

We celebrate and thank God for Bill’s life and witness among us.