William "Bill" Andrew Goetz, 78, of Oakley, KS died Saturday, September
11, 2021, at Logan County Hospital. He was born August 29, 1943, in
Park, KS to Edmund and Helen (Nellie Brungardt) Goetz. He graduated from
Grainfield High School in 1961. On September 4, 1970, he married Laura
Maurath. Bill was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Oakley.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, George (Bud) Goetz,
Virgil (Jim) Goetz, Charlie Goetz; and sisters, Maxine Leiker, Delores
Deines, Elsie Bittel, Marlene Fahey.
He is survived by his wife, Laura, of Oakley; children, Lisa (James)
Cox, of Newton, Amy Thrasher, of Oakley, Neil Goetz, of Palm Springs,
CA, Cara Goetz, of Oakley, and Jason (JP) Goetz, of Denver, CO;
grandchildren, Camilla (Justin) Panariello, of Venice, FL, Neil Goetz,
Jr., of Riverside, CA, Amber Cox, of Newton, Corey Thrasher, of
Goodland, and Andrea Cox, of Newton; great-grandson, Hank Panariello, of
Venice, FL; brother, Gary Goetz, of WaKeeney; sister, Pat Radcliffe, of
Kenton, OH; and many sister & brother-in-laws, nieces, nephews,
great nieces, great nephews and friends.
Bill loved getting away to go fishing anytime he would get the chance,
he also enjoyed spending time with his grandkids and taking them out for
ice cream whenever they were around. He was a family man first and
foremost, a loving husband and a great father. He was a very social
person, and you could often find him chatting with his friends over a
donut at one of his many ‘coffee break’ places around Oakley. He always
took the time out of his busy day to stop and share a conversation with
whomever crossed his path. As a proud member of the local high school
booster club, you could spot him at a Oakley Plainsmen sporting event
cheering on the home team or travelling to support them on the road
(even after his own kids had graduated). If he wasn’t at a game,
scratching a lottery ticket, or at work; you were likely to catch him
working in his yard or on his Ford Galaxie (both of which he took
tremendous pride in).
He worked for NW Furniture and Floor Covering for many years and when it
closed started his own business; Superior Floor Covering. He worked
hard and truly believed in the motto “if something is worth doing, it is
worth doing right”. His work ethic and skillset were second to none. He
was a master carpenter, and his craftsmanship can be seen in the
numerous homes that he helped make beautiful all throughout his
community and the surrounding areas. He flipped many houses in the
Oakley area in his later years, turning sometimes very undesirable
houses into amazingly beautiful homes.
Bill was a man of faith and believed in service to his fellow man. He
was a member of the Knights of Columbus (serving as Grand Knight and
later District Deputy - he also won a prestigious KofC Family of the
Year Award). He was a man of integrity and compassion. He would always
be the first to help out anyone who was in need. As a younger man, he
and his wife (Laura) enjoyed playing cards with their friends, being
social and were members of many bowling leagues. Later in life he simply
enjoyed driving around town with his daughter Cara, just because…
He impacted the lives of anyone he met and everyone that knew him, has a
“Bill Story” to share. His friendly smile and his whistling of a
cheerful tune while he worked, will be missed by many, but his legacy
will never be forgotten.
Visitation will be from 5pm to 7pm, Sunday, Sept. 19 at St. Joseph
Catholic Church, Oakley, with a rosary to follow at 7:00 pm. Funeral
Mass will be at 10:00 am, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, at St. Joseph Catholic
Church, Oakley, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorials can be
made to St. Joseph Church and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box
391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or online condolences:
www.baalmannmortuary.com