William George Waterman

July 03, 1956 – December 12, 2024

William was born July 3, 1956 to Paul & Izzy Waterman, the youngest of four children.  He was born in Seattle and grew up Woodinville, WA.  He is survived by his wife Rae Welin Waterman, his sister Marylou Waterman, numerous nieces and nephews, Great nieces and nephews, and GREAT GREAT nieces and nephews.  He was also blessed with two Grand-friends, Elliot & Gabby.

The minute he was born, William’s five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing jumped into action and served his great curiosity all his life.  He embraced life and had a gift for bringing fun into each day and into the lives of those around him.  His love of fun activities led to his career as a Recreational Therapist where he enriched the lives of his patients by introducing meaningful play and recreational activities into their days.

Despite dealing with medical issues throughout his adult life, he sought to live each day fully.  He treasured his marriage to Rae and devoted his life to making their marriage a rich relationship.  A passionate gardener, William was enthralled by the beauty of God’s creation.   He loved caring for his home and his beautifully landscaped yard.

William was intentional in his relationship with God, people and animals.  When you were with him, you felt listened to, cared for and valued.  He was thoughtful, encouraging, prayerful, genuine in his faith in Jesus, compassionate, playful, witty, creative, kind, gentle and sometimes just plain goofy!  Wiliam will long be remembered for how well he loved people.

He died on December 12, 2024 as a result of medical complications following a heart attack.

His last gift to people was his donation to the Oregon Organ Donor Program.  Following his example, please consider becoming a donor.

Other memorials include two of his favorite organizations:  Portland Habitat for Humanity and Portland Japanese Garden.

A service celebrating William’s life will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at West Hills Covenant Church at 1:00PM (5815 SW Gillcrest Court, Portland, OR 97221).