Obituary of William Elmo McInnis

William (Bill) Elmo McInnis passed away on Friday, September 18, 2009 following complications from heart surgery. He was just 70 years old. Bill was born on June 27, 1939 in Olympia, WA, where he lived his entire life. He is the son of Elmo and Frieda McInnis (now Frieda Jorgenson). His father died three weeks before Bill’s 17th birthday. His mother is 96 years old and still makes her home in Olympia. His sister, Betty McInnis Nye, also lives in Olympia. Bill grew up in the Woodard Bay area of Olympia. He attended school in that area and was a 1957 graduate of Olympia High School. He met his future wife, Nancy Sokolik, in 1956. They married on September 12, 1959, when he was 20 and she was two months shy of her 18th birthday. On October 16, 1962 they welcomed their first child, a daughter, Darcy. On January 2, 1964 they were blessed with a second daughter, Kathy. And four years later, on May 24, 1968, they welcomed their son, Jeff. Bill and Nancy’s kids grew up to marry and have children of their own. Darcy McInnis and her partner Cynder, who live in Seattle, have one son, Gabriel. Kathy Chavez and her husband Ramiro, who live in Olympia, have two sons, Johnathan and Michael. Jeff McInnis and his wife Sarah, who live in Tacoma, have five children, Julia, Abby, Will, Hugh and Elizabeth. Bill’s eight grandchildren were the light of his life. They will all miss their Grandpa immensely. Bill loved life and looked at every day as a new adventure. He was fond of calling himself the “Wild Child.” He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. He also loved music – especially rock and roll – and passed on his love of music to his kids. He loved nature and spent many weekends camping with his wife and kids. As a young man he especially looked forward to traipsing through the woods each fall during hunting season. He also loved dogs and there were few times in his life when he didn’t have the companionship of at least one dog. He left behind his beloved dog, Sophia, a beautiful black lab, who adored Bill and will miss him terribly. In their younger years, Bill and Nancy had numerous friends and spent many a Saturday night dancing until the wee hours. In their later years, Bill and Nancy loved to travel and fondly remember their trips to Alaska, Massachusetts, and Florida. They were planning a trip to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary, which they celebrated just six days before Bill’s death, but sadly were never able to take it. Bill was multi-talented and had a variety of jobs during his life. As a young husband and father he owned his own dump truck and backhoe and operated his own business, McInnis Excavating. Later he started a home construction business and built many homes in the Olympia area, including his own home, which he would proudly tell you he had built in just five weeks. Bill was a caring, gentle and loving man who always had a twinkle in his eye. His charm, wit and good looks endeared him to many. He easily made friends and could talk to anyone. Bill was a special man and he will be missed tremendously by everyone who knew him. We invite anyone who knew Bill to join us for a memorial service to celebrate and remember his life. The memorial will be held at Colonial Estates Clubhouse, 3700 14th Ave SE, Olympia, WA, from 12:30-3:30 pm on Saturday, September 26, 2009. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Bill’s memory to the Humane Society of Thurston County, the Puget Sound Blood Center, or the Providence St. Peter Foundation. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses in the Critical Care department at St. Peter Hospital for their valiant efforts to try and save our husband and dad. You may leave memories and condolences for the family by clicking on "View Guestbook" below.