William N. ‘Bill’ Dubs Jr.

William N. “Bill” Dubs Jr., 83, passed away peacefully on Jan. 20, 2014, surrounded by family in Sonoma. Bill was born on Jan. 27, 1930, in Los Angeles to William and Jeanne Berta (Jones) Dubs. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Junior College after his graduation from Sonoma Valley High School in 1948. Bill married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Moser, and completed his education at San Francisco State University.

After graduation, he moved his family to the Northwest where he enjoyed a long career in the plywood industry as a salesman and retiring as a division manager. Bill met his second wife, Suzanne Fischbeck, and they resided in Beaverton, Ore. Bill retired in 1997 and returned to Sonoma, where he enjoyed close friendships with many former classmates. Eugenia Malchow, also a graduate of Sonoma Valley High School was his close companion for the last 15 years.

Bill loved track and field over any other sport. He was a pole-vaulter at Sonoma Valley High School and manager of the track team at SRJC from 1948-49. In addition he regularly attended the California State meets, the U.S. Olympic trials and the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Bill had a passion for sports. He was an avid USC Trojan, San Francisco 49er and San Francisco Giants fan. Bill will always be remembered enjoying a party surrounded by friends with cocktail in hand. He was known as a “curmudgeon” by his old friends, but he was our “curmudgeon” and we loved him. You could always find Bill seven days a week at Starbucks having coffee with his buddies after a workout at the gym. He was extremely proud to be a descendant of Jefferson Davis and the nephew of Stan Jones who wrote and performed more than 100 songs with his most famous being “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”

Bill is predeceased by his wives, Patricia and Suzanne; his sister, Berta; and his son, Nick.

He is survived by his daughters, Karin Nelson, of Bend, Ore., Cynthia “C.Z.” Reins, of Vashon Island, Wash., and Pamela (and husband, Dirk) Moritz, or Hillsboro, Ore.; his two grandsons, Nicholas (and wife, Cait) Nelson, of Philadelphia, Pa., and Christopher Nelson, of Bend Ore.; and great-granddaughter, Isla Nelson.

A celebration of Bill’s life is being planned. Inquiries can be made to Duggan’s Mission Chapel at the phone number or web address listed below.

Inurnment will take place at the Springfield Memorial Gardens in Springfield, Ore., at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Bill’s honor may be made to the SRJC 49/50 Football Scholarship Fund, #4051, c/o The Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401-4395 or to the Hospice charity of your choice.

Arrangements cared for under the direction of Duggan’s Mission Chapel, Mission Cremation Service. Inquiries can be made to them at (707) 996-3655 or at www.duggansmissionchapel.com.