William “Bill” L. Wells died on September 11, 2024, at his home on Whidbey Island, surrounded by his family. Born in New Jersey in 1939, his family moved to California when he was young. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1962, then served in the US Army for over 20 years, retiring in 1983 as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his military service, he served in the US, Europe, and Asia and also obtained his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University. After his retirement from the military, he returned to California briefly before moving to Washington State. After a few years, he went back to school at the University of Washington, earning his Master degree in Professional Accounting in 1989. While still a student, he became a teaching assistant, then, after graduation, became a part-time lecturer and eventually a senior lecturer. He taught at the University of Washington until his retirement in 2013. During his tenure there, he received over 11 awards, including the University of Washington Undergraduate Professor of the Year in 2001 and 2004; the University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award in 2006; and the Ernst and Young Inclusive Excellence Award in 2010, as well as many others. He served as the President of Beta Alpha Psi, the organization for Financial Information Professionals, from 2000 to 2005; as Beta Alpha Psi Northwest Regional Director from 2005 to 2008; and he was the regional director of the Washington Society of CPAs, 2009 to 2012. After his retirement from teaching, he spent time volunteering, spending time with his family, working on home projects, and gardening.
He is survived by his wife Jeanne, his son Barrett and daughter Shannon and their families, his brother Lawrence and his family, as well as many other extended family members.
There will be a Celebration of Life on October 12, 2024, from 1-3pm at Wallin Funeral Home located at 1811 NE 16th Ave, Oak Harbor, WA. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation on his behalf to Island Senior Resources (seniorresources.org), where he volunteered/served as a director from 2016 to 2019, or the American Cancer Society (donate.cancer.org).
