William Bartley

William J. Bartley of Normal, age 86, passed from this life to eternity on Aug. 13, 2024.

Bill was born to Julia and Ralph Bartley and grew up in Topeka, KS with his mother and siblings Barbara, Ralph Jr., Charles, and Frances, all of whom preceded him in death.

He served in the Army (1958-60), National Guard (1960-63), and received his Bachelor’s degree at Washburn University. He took graduate classes at Kansas State University and earned a Master’s degree from the University of Arizona before teaching at Texas A&I University and St. Francis College. In 1977 Bill began a career in management training with GROWMARK in Normal, where he worked until his retirement in 2002.

Bill met his wife, Faye, while in graduate school in Arizona. They married in 1968 and together lovingly raised two children.

After retirement, Bill worked tirelessly to expand and lead the Bloomington/Normal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Foundation. He was charitable and civic-minded throughout his life, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, the Optimist Club, and the Midwest Food Bank and serving on the Town of Normal and McLean County Planning Commissions.

Bill enjoyed golfing with the Prune Juice League and McLean County Senior Golf Association. He was a playful grandfather and a dedicated helper to anyone in need. Bill enjoyed chatting and joking with anyone he met. He had a unique ability to teach himself new things, from home remodeling skills to the intricacies of tax law. He was “the white-haired guy with all the answers” to his tax preparation clients, which he enjoyed.

Bill is survived by his wife, Faye, daughter Erin Cummisford (Rick), son Tim (Christi Smith), and grandsons Ian, Brent, and Victor.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 12 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington. His memorial visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the B/N VITA Foundation are welcome.