William “Bill” Albert Strouse Jr., passed away Friday, December 16, 2016, at his home in Plainville, Kansas, at the age of 86. He was born on September 19, 1930, at the family home in Garber, Oklahoma, to the late William Albert Strouse, Sr. and Florence Olive (Scott) Strouse. Growing up the child of an oilfield driller, the family moved across Oklahoma and Kansas, wherever the work took them, eventually settling in Plainville, where Bill started eighth grade. He graduated from Plainville Rural High School with the Class of 1948.
Following graduation, Bill joined the United States Navy, where he went to radio school in Norfolk, Virginia, and served on the USS LST-603 until he was honorably discharged in 1950. In that same year he was united in marriage to Marcelle Crawford, on August 18th in Plainville. They were blessed with two daughters, Deborah Jane and Stacy Lynn.
Bill owned and operated Bill’s Standard Station for 8 years before establishing the S & S Tire Company, which he owned and operated for about 37 years. Always wanting to keep busy after retirement from the tire business, he worked part-time for Rooks County and later helped the Jake Keas family with farming for several years. During all of that time, he served on the Plainville Fire Department for 53 years, 37 of those as Chief.
Bill was a member of First Christian Church in Plainville and was baptized on April 25, 1965. He was a Past Master of Paradise Masonic Lodge # 290 of Plainville and received his 60-year membership pin in 2016. He was an avid reader and loved fishing and hanging out with his morning coffee buddies. He was also an enthusiastic Kansas City Royals and Chiefs fan. His most cherished time was spent with family, especially grandchildren and great-grandchildren; he always looked forward to visits from friends and the communion servers from the church.
Bill is survived by his wife Marcelle Strouse of the home in Plainville; daughters Deborah Turnbull and husband Jeffery of Plainville, and Stacy Fischer and husband Donald of Hays; brother Charles Strouse and wife Margaret of Ellsworth; sister Ann Anderson of Northglenn, CO; grandchildren Cassie Grover, Ashleigh and Ian Mabb, Samantha Cooper, and Keegan Turnbull; and great-grandchildren Joey Cooper, Presli Grover, Aiden Siebert, Crosby Mabb, and Ivan Mabb.
He was preceded in death by his parents William, Sr. and Florence Strouse, brother James Strouse, and sister Virginia Gulickson.
As a Freemason, Bill took seriously the admonishments in his own life, to walk uprightly in his several stations before God and man, squaring his actions by the square of virtue, and remembering that we are all traveling upon that level of time from whose bourn no traveler returns. Although we are sad at the loss of our brother, we rejoice that he has at last become a living stone, in that spiritual house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at First Christian Church in Plainville. Inurnment will follow in the Plainville City Cemetery. Friends may sign the guest book from 3:00-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.