Bill Huskey

January 5, 1937 - January 29, 2016

Bill was born at home in Chattanooga, Tennessee on January 5, 1937.  He was born into a poor southern family, the fifth of six children.  The family couldn’t afford a cradle so his bed was a dresser drawer. He was often remembered as saying that his first toys were bricks.

When he was young, his parents moved him and his five siblings to South Carolina. He was close to his brother Jim, and the two of them got into quite a bit of trouble together.  He claimed to have started smoking at the tender age of four.  He and Jim would often leave school by climbing out the window of the second story of his kindergarten class and sliding down the drainpipe when the teacher was looking the other way.  One such time, when they ditched school they went to the swimming hole to fish where Billy, who didn’t know how to swim, fell in.  God was watching over him from an early age because just at that moment a truant officer spotted them and fished him out in the nick of time. Other adventures include climbing on top of a train and riding it for a while until they fell off.  

His entrepreneurial streak first showed itself when, as a young child, he and Jim sold their father’s chickens to the elderly lady next door.  To replenish their stock, they would sneak in and steal the chickens back at night only to return and sell them to that poor woman the following day.  Their scheme worked a few times but they were put out of business when the old woman caught on and whacked off the chicken’s heads.   

As a teenager, he moved with his family to San Francisco where he quickly became the leader of his gang of friends.

Like many young men of his age, his decision to join the service was made while he was three sheets to the wind. The story goes, the intake doctor mistook his inebriation for poor vision and ordered him a thick pair of glasses to compensate for the test results.

He enjoyed most of his time in the service, except for a six month stint in the stockade. Once when he came home on leave he realized his family had moved without telling him (but he found them!). In spite of a bump or two, he was proud to have served his country and his time there no doubt shaped his lifelong dedication to timeliness, discipline and hard work.

During his younger years, Bill loved scuba diving, boating, water skiing, camping and fishing--the last of which developed into a pastime he would enjoy for most of his life.

He met his first wife Joy when he was 18 and she was just 15. After corresponding for over a year he returned on leave and swept her off her feet (with a little help from liquid courage) and they married.

They started married life together in Arizona and then were stationed in Norfolk, Virginia where they happily welcomed their first child, Ray in October of 1957. Bill was able to change his duties there from communications to cook, a position he thoroughly enjoyed, receiving many compliments from superior officers on the meals he prepared. In later years, one of his favorite ways of showing love to his family was by cooking big weekend breakfasts. When he was discharged, they returned to the San Francisco Bay Area where they bought their first two-bedroom home (for just $11,000.00!) His second son Mike was born there in October of 1959. Bill worked as a Baker at Kilpatricks and for a while rode a Honda scooter to the job, at least until the rainy season started. He was promised a promotion if he transferred to the San Jose facility so they rented out the little house and bought a larger one in close to the new job. Bill was delighted when baby Elizabeth joined the troop in May of 1961. When the expected promotion fell through, the family packed up and moved to Daly City where they opened a mexican food restaurant. Generous customers filled a big tip jar labeled “For Baby”. Tim soon arrived on the scene in March of 1963.

When the restaurant venture failed to provide enough income for the growing family, Bill returned to the bakery and they moved to Marin County where they all enjoyed the more rural setting and the company of nearby relatives. This proved to be one of the happiest times for the children who have fond memories of their time in Tam Valley. Four years later, Katrina made her early entrance in March of 1967 and the family was now complete. They experimented briefly with the popular "Hippie" lifestyle while Bill continued to make the daily commute across the Golden Gate to Kilpatricks, working as much overtime as he could get. He was always a good provider and also worked very hard around his homes, maintaining and improving  things. He had the ability to clearly envision what he wanted and would then start working to achieve it. He put in an above ground pool and then built a deck around it as it quickly became a hangout for neighborhood kids. The couple hosted many parties there and began some life-long friendships.They acquired a small cabin cruiser and spent many happy summer weeks camping at Lake Berryessa with the bakery crowd. The family especially enjoyed several vacations in Yosemite which engendered a love for the great outdoors.

It was after they moved to a larger home in Navato that Joy was hospitalized with cancer and developed life-threatening complications. Bill was forced to take time off to care for the young children. He lost his job and their financial situation became desperate as they got behind on the rent and were served an eviction notice. Friends stored their belongings and offered to keep the children but they were determined to keep the family together and moved them all into a tent in nearby Samuel P. Taylor state park, where they spent Thanksgiving that year. It turned out to be one of the wettest winters on record for the now homeless group with their German Shepard, Bruno, who decided to help himself to the remnants of their Thanksgiving ham. In spite of the stress and difficulty the distraught parents tried to make sure that the kids felt like they were on an extended camping trip. One afternoon, Bill suddenly grabbed Joy around the waist and danced her around the picnic table while singing "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" which quickly became the family theme song. But then, just before Christmas, the car broke down.

Fortune smiled upon the struggling family when some compassionate friends called a local radio station and related the family’s calamitous story. Donations poured in and a very kind couple, who were complete strangers to the family, offered the use of their beautiful second home in Inverness until the family could get back on their feet. Another young couple donated their Nash Rambler to replace the couple’s non-working vehicle. Bill was offered a job as a ranger at the park he had only recently called home. He worked at the park for several months and then was offered a job as a humane officer. He accepted and quickly stood out in his new role. Subsequently, he was recommended by his director as a candidate for a the position of the Director of the Humane Society of Escondido and soon relocated his family to Southern California.

With the family back on their feet and out of the woods, they nonetheless continued to enjoy camping as they explored Mt. Palomar, local beaches, the desert at Borrego Springs and the lake at Butterfield Country.

As Executive Director, he transformed the Escondido Humane Society from a small-town dogpound into the Southern California Center for Humane Education. Securing numerous  donations, he built a modern state-of-the-art facility complete with classrooms which welcomed parkgoers as well as visiting students from area schools. The new facility was constructed in the center of Kit Carson Park for all to enjoy.  

Always protective of animals, Bill worked tirelessly for over a year to bring an initiative to the ballot to outlaw the use of the barbaric steel jawed trap. Later he eliminated the archaic and cruel Euthenair Chamber and arranged for more humane methods to be used.

He later took a job as the director of the Santa Clara Humane Society. His predecessors had left the facilities filthy and in disrepair. He worked hard to make it a safe, clean place for animals.  He gained the respect of those who worked for him by working side by side with them to clean out the kennels and restore the grounds.

When he left the Santa Clara Humane Society he moved his family back to Southern California and became a Beltone hearing aid dispenser. He built the business to two offices, one in Escondido, the other in Vista.  After a time the Escondido office was sold and Bill and Joy focused solely on the Vista office. Later they added an office in Oceanside. At one time or another they employed all five of their children.

Around that time, Bill received alarming news after a medical checkup when his doctor informed him he needed heart surgery. He pulled through a five bypass open heart surgery while his son Mike ran the business for him. Much later after recovery, Bill returned to the office to work again.  

It was during his time in Southern California that he became a lifelong Charger’s fan, once even refusing to go to the hospital during medical emergency, for fear of missing a playoff game.

Bill and Joy were able to purchase their dream home in Southern California which they named “Rancho de los Suenos” or, Ranch of our dreams.  It was situated on four acres of avocado groves in Bonsall. Bill took enormous pleasure in tending the groves and becoming a ‘gentleman farmer” in his free time.  

Bill and Joy bought/leased a little seaside cottage in Mexico where they hosted vacations with children and grandchildren. They started work on a larger estate that they planned on developing to match their grand visions, but was sadly left uncompleted due to unforeseen difficulties. During their time in Mexico, they enjoyed many weekends at the beach and would bring clothes and toys to donate to the local orphanage.  

He and Joy traveled domestically to numerous states across the country including Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah. Bill was a history buff, and made it a point to visit all of the civil war memorials and monuments they encountered during their travels. They also enjoyed many trips into Mexico visiting the Mexican ruins, Acapulco, and Mexico City.

During this time he began to fulfill what would become his lifelong goal of visiting all of the national parks. He loved hiking and even climbed Mount Whitney with his daughter-in-law, Nila, who unbeknownst to her, was pregnant at the time.  Later, when Bill’s granddaughter was born she was named Whitney.  

After 35 years of marriage, Bill and Joy’s relationship as husband and wife came to an end. But they shared a bond that proved the foundation for lifelong mutual respect and friendship.

Bill met his second wife Rose Marie while on his travels to the Philippines. They soon married and Rose came to live with him in Southern California, their daughter Jen following closely behind. In the years to come, they would continue to grow their family by adopting Rose’s two nieces, Chloe and later Cha, affording them opportunities in the US that may not have been available to them in the Philippines. When Jen later married and gave birth to her adorable baby daughter Amorie, she quickly became the light of Bill’s life.
 

Not long after his marriage to Rose, Bill suffered the tragic passing of his eldest son, Ray, from cancer. He felt the loss deeply, and mourned for the time and opportunities taken too soon. The grief that he and his first wife and family experienced no doubt paved the way for the greater closeness he was able to share with them in the years to come.

In what later became a prized accomplishment, Bill and Rose began building their dream home close to Rose’s hometown in the Philippines. When it was eventually completed, Bill would spend several months out of the year there.

Through his generous involvement with the community, he became known as beloved “Big Brother” by the locals. When he was in town, he would host parties at the “Big House” and invite the whole neighborhood. He introduced the natives to Santa Claus, dressing up and giving out gifts to the boys and girls. When he learned that his driver’s son was going to be forced to drop out of college due to lack of funds, he provided the means for him to complete his schooling. He showed this same generosity when he put Rose’s sister through nursing school.
 

At home in the States, Bill and Rose operated and grew their hearing aid business where he continued to work and support the family until he took ill at the age of 78. Together they traveled the world, visiting The Yucatan, Hong Kong, Stonehenge, Venice, London, and many other awe-inspiring destinations.

Bill experienced a series of near-death medical crises due to failing health for several years, yet always demonstrated a remarkable ability to pull through. He could rally like nobody’s business.

Finally though, after a lengthy hospitalization, Bill passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on January 29, 2016 at the age of 79. Before his passing, all of his children were able to come to his bedside to say goodbye.

He will be missed.