William "Bill C. Vandeveer - Online Memorial Website

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William "Bill C. Vandeveer
Born in Illinois
89 years
104269
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    William “Bill” C. Vandeveer, 89, of Peoria, passed away at 4:10 a.m. on Sunday, December 10, 2017 at Proctor Place in Peoria.
     He was born on December 25, 1927, the only child of Dale and Myrtle (Steele) Vandeveer. He married Audrey Mitchell on April 10, 1949 in Greenbush. She survives.
     Bill is survived by his children, Rick (Emma) Vandeveer of Peoria and Kristin (the late David) Stewart of North Pekin; grandchildren, Jeff (Ali) Stewart, Kate (Steven) Gingrich and Erin (Luke) Overcash; and great grandchildren, Elliott, Kailani and Ozzie Stewart, Crosby and Leighton Gingrich, and Briggs and Kenzie Overcash.
     His parents preceded him in death.
     Bill served in the US Navy from 1946-1947. He served one year on board the U.S.S. Macon. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in Music Education and his Master’s Degree from Illinois State University.
     Music was very important in Bill’s life. He won numerous awards for his musical abilities. He was able to play 18 different instruments and he could play all of them very well.  Bill also had a beautiful voice. He owned and operated Vans Piano Service, where he was an excellent piano tuner and could repair most musical instruments. He was the music director at Minier School from 1953-1960 and won Minier Teacher of the Year in 1960. In 1960 he moved to Farmington East High School where he was the Music Director and Chairman of the Music Department until his retirement in 1980. He was a member of the Peoria Municipal Band and the Prairie Wind Ensemble. Bill performed for years with the “Barb Lorence Trio”, “Jonni and Dave Plus Three”, and “Jim Park and the Starlighters”.
    Bill could fix anything and enjoyed electrical, mechanical, plumbing and carpenter work as well as antique auto and clock repair.  He was a Master Mason for 60 years and a member of Farmington Lodge #192. Bill loved people and was a great storyteller.  
     He attended Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria.
     A Celebration of Bill’s Life will be held at a later date this spring.
     Memorial contributions may be made in Bill’s memory to Greater Peoria Honor Flight or to the Peoria Municipal Band.
     Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Clary Funeral Home, 3004 West Lake Avenue in Peoria.


Latest Condolences
C. Bourguet My deepest Condolences January 19, 2018
My condolences, as feelings of pain and bitterness become unbearable. It is my desire to convey a comforting thought based on the Holy Scriptures
          
  John 5:28 "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out."
 
 
This passage speaks of the resurrection of our loved ones. It is not God's plan to see us suffer and die, so He extends the following invitation to us: "Come near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8)
 
Please go to the following link to obtain more information regarding the Hope expressed in this passage and again we are sorry for your loss.
 
 http://www.jw.org
Hendrick Polanco My Deepest Condolences January 1, 2018
My deepest condolences.  May these few words from the Holy Scriptures bring you comfort in your time of grief...
John 11:32-45
32 And so Mary, when she arrived where Jesus was and caught sight of him, fell at his feet, saying to him: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping and the Jews that came with her weeping, groaned in the spirit and became troubled; 34 and he said: “Where have YOU laid him?” They said to him: “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus gave way to tears. 36 Therefore the Jews began to say: “See, what affection he used to have for him!” 37 But some of them said: “Was not this [man] that opened the eyes of the blind man able to prevent this one from dying?”
38 Hence Jesus, after groaning again within himself, came to the memorial tomb. It was, in fact, a cave, and a stone was lying against it.39 Jesus said: “TAKE the stone away.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him: “Lord, by now he must smell, for it is four days.”40 Jesus said to her: “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Therefore they took the stone away. Now Jesus raised his eyes heavenward and said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 True, I knew that you always hear me; but on account of the crowd standing around I spoke, in order that they might believe that you sent me forth.” 43 And when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice: “Laz´a·rus, come on out!” 44The [man] that had been dead came out with his feet and hands bound with wrappings, and his countenance was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said to them: “Loose him and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews that had come to Mary and that beheld what he did put faith in him;
Please go to the following link for more information regarding the Hope expressed in this passage
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/dead-live-again-tract/dead-live-again
Richard Hitchcock To the Family of William Vandeveer December 18, 2017
     My fondest mrmories of FEHS have to do with music and specifically band.  Mr. Vandeveer was the only teacher whose class I attended every day for all four years.  That does not include the extra-curricular activities that we participated in together.  Farmington was lucky to have such a talented and dedicated music man and I was lucky to have known and learned from him.  The last time I saw him I was able to tell him that several of his old students had picked up where he left us off after 30 plus years and had a band together.  He was so happy to hear that.  My deepest sympathies to the entire family.  God bless.
 
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