Grandpa Beesley

On June 5, my Grandpa Beesley passed away. He was 81 years old and a GREAT Grandpa! I would like to share a couple of my favorite memories of him.
- When I was younger my Grandpa and Grandma would invite the couins to sleepovers at their house and take us on trips. On one of these trip we went to Jackson Hole and got to go river rafting. However, my favorite trip was when I was in middle school and my grandpa took me and four of my couins on a trip to Lake Powell. He took us hiking/exploring, water skiing, swimming, etc... and acted just like one of the girls. It was a great experience to be able to bond with him and my cousins.
- My Grandpa loved to play April Fools jokes on people and he always thought of really good ones that were belivable. He would have you going all day or at least until he said, "April Fools."
I will miss him a lot but hope that he is having tons of fun with my mom and gave her a big kiss from me.

William Noall Beesley, Jr.
1927 ~ 2008
Bill Beesley died on June 5, 2008 at his home in Draper as a result of a long life and cancer.
He was born on April 7, 1927 the third of seven children to Barbara and William N. Beesley. Bill attended and played football and basketball at Granite High School. In 1943 he asked Hanna Marie Killpack to the Sophomore Ball – the best decision of his life, he said. They graduated in 1945 and married that summer in the Salt Lake Temple. Immediately after marrying, Bill served his country in WW II as a Merchant Marine in the Pacific.
Bill was a true entrepreneur and loved new ideas and business adventures. He was awarded numerous US and international patents and launched several companies, including Back to Basics Products, which his older boys grew into one of the most successful housewares manufacturers in the US.
A gifted athlete, Bill relished well into his late 70s thumping his sons, sons-in-law, grandkids and most other takers at sports, but especially racquetball. He held several state and US seniors’ racquetball titles.
Bill served his church as a bishop in Illinois and as a missionary with Hanna in Scotland and Kentucky. He travelled extensively and visited nearly every continent. He loved most, however, exploring Lake Powell with his grandkids or the Lake Pals and playing with family and friends at the cabin.
Bill is survived by Hanna, his wife of 62 years; five children, Bill, Brad (Patty), Linda Allen (Brent), Lex Ann Alvey (Mike) and Mark (RueAnn Ormand); 26 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers and two sisters.