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William Andrews Steinhour, 74

Born Nov. 24, 1942, in Lewes, Del., to John and Elizabeth Steinhour. Died Oct. 19, 2017, in Billings, Mont. There will be a celebration of life memorial for Bill at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, at Candlelight Christian Fellowship, 5725 N. Pioneer Drive, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 83815. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the church in Bill’s name.

Bill was loved by many and a friend to all. Bill recently died as the result of an automobile accident just outside Billings, Mont. He was driving to Denver to pick up his daughter, Andrea, and they were going to travel on to Austin for the Steinhour Family Reunion on Lake Travis. He was so looking forward to the family reunion. Our hearts broke the day we heard.

Bill is survived by his daughters, Andrea and Bethany; his sisters, Judy, Jan and Jill; nieces and nephews, Wendy, Tom, Scott, Amy, Robbie, Joey and Michael; and his former wife and mother of his children, Kate.

Bill was a loving, kind and generous man with unending curiosity and a wicked sense of humor. Even though reading and focusing were hard for him, he relentlessly researched anything that caught his interest. And whenever he was interested in something, he taught himself how it worked and how to build it from whatever parts he could find. Bill was especially fascinated by anything that had to do with electronics and anything that exploded. He loved collecting firearms and, in fact, became quite a marksman. His aim was almost flawless.

Growing up in Risingsun, Ohio, one of Bill’s favorite activities was to plant cherry bombs under the playhouse where his sisters and their friends were spending the night. A childhood friend wrote: “Want to let you know that Bill and I had some very good times together, grinding gun powder on your front sidewalk. We then prepared our rocket ships to see who could get theirs to go highest. He always wanted to help me build a kite for the Risingsun kite festival.”

Bill’s nephew, Michael, said that when his Uncle Bill taught him how to make gunpowder it was “magical.”

After high school, Bill joined the Navy for four years and obtained the rank of chief petty officer. His radio background, unique electronics skills, and high ASVAB scores landed him at Cheyenne Mountain, Colo. and the unique Joint (Top Secret) National Defense Communication Command during the Cuban Crisis. One of his great desires was to serve aboard a submarine, but, to his dismay, Bill became the only sailor in the US Navy to never go aboard a Navy ship.

After discharge from the Navy, Bill earned a bachelor of general studies with an emphasis in psychology from Iowa State University. He went on to work in the electronics field after spending several years in medical electronics sales, which absolutely fascinated him. He said that if he ever needed a defibrillator he would like to insert it into his own chest! Bill took apart nearly every tool, electronic device, and gizmo he ever ran across just to see how it worked and if he could find a better way to make it work, and sometimes it did!

An avowed atheist from his early days, Bill began to apply to studying the Bible his intellect and the detective skills he had developed through his scientific research and knowledge. Consequently, his Christian faith in God became his bedrock during the last decades of his life, and Bible studies became a mainstay in his life. Not one to just acquire knowledge, Bill applied those principles of wisdom to helping others: helping people move, building wheelchair ramps for the feeble, coming alongside of others needing help, serving as volunteer for charities and church events, and personally getting involved in others’ lives. He spent approximately the last 20 years of his life in communities around Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Bill simply loved life! And most of all, he loved his faith and his family. He left an indelible image in our hearts and minds, and the world is a little dimmer without him in it. But we take comfort in knowing that he left us in the loving arms of his Lord and Savior.