William Rouster

Throughout his rich and rewarding life, William Rouster was the sort of person whom everyone seemed to know. He was generous toward others and could always manage to make others around him love life as much as he did. Thrilled to spend the majority of his life alongside his true love, Bill was abundantly blessed to witness his family tree blossom to include not only children, but grandchildren and great-grandchildren, too. A man of honor and integrity, he was an inspiration to all who were near. Deeply loved, Bill will be forever missed by those too numerous to count.

It seems only fitting that Bill’s journey began during a time that was as vibrant as he was. It was the Roaring Twenties when motion pictures came to life with both color and sound, affordable cars allowed people to see places they had never been, and radios brought the world around us within our reach. William James made his grand entrance as the third of nine children born to his parents, Jacob and Lucille (Denoyer) Rouster, on October 11, 1927, in New Albin, Iowa. As the prosperous days of the 1920s gave way to the Great Depression of the 1930s, Bill and his family moved to Belleville, Michigan. He was a student at local schools who graduated from high school. Shortly thereafter, Bill enlisted in the Navy in 1945 and served until 1949.

With his military duties fulfilled, Bill was ready for all that life had in store. He attended Eastern Michigan University and graduated with his master’s degree in chemistry. With his education behind him, Bill made a career at the Upjohn Company over 35 years, retiring as a sales manager in 1990.

Not to be forgotten during his years in college was Bill’s introduction to the young woman of his dreams. Her name was Blva Moore, and sparks flew right from the start. They soon found themselves deeply in love, and with a desire to establish a life together Bill and Blva were married on February 6, 1954. Together they welcomed four children including Beth, Cheri, Jim, and Mark into their hearts and home.

Over the years Bill was a man of many interests, and he was one to keep busy, too. With a desire to give back to the community he called home for much of his life, Bill was a longtime blood donor who donated every 56 days. Throughout his life he donated nearly 25 gallons of blood, generously giving life to countless others in the process. Bill became a member of AA in May of 1974, and he remained a member for 40 years. Through his involvement with the group he made countless friends, and he was always so honored to help others and to serve within the group however he could. An avid lover of trains and airplanes, Bill looked forward to attending the fly-in convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, every year as he went to as many air shows as he could.

Later in life Bill continued to fully embrace the days he was given. When he retired, he and his wife traveled extensively including to Hawaii, Alaska, Russia, and Australia. As he entered into his sunset years, he began showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Blva took great care of him during this time, but after his beloved wife died in 2009, Bill’s health only continued to decline further. He moved to Park Place Assisted Living where he spent the remainder of his days. It was with his daughters, his son Mark and a granddaughter at his side that he drew his last breath.

All who knew William Rouster would agree that he was an amazing man to know and love. He was fun, loved to joke around, and could make people laugh with the best of them. There was no one who met Bill and didn’t love him, and with his warm and approachable demeanor he drew others near with ease. Even when times of trial came his way, he remained positive and upbeat as he was one to weather both the peaks and valleys along his life’s pathway with strength and courage. Bill’s memory will be forever cherished by all who knew and loved him.

William J. Rouster, of Portage, died on December 18, 2014, at Park Place Assisted Living Center. Bill is survived by his children: Beth (Jim) Thomas, Cheri (Dave) McCaffery, Jim Rouster and Mark (Barb) Rouster; 4 grandchildren: Jen (Tom) Dole, Cheri (Nick) Getty, Will & Kate Rouster; great-granddaughters: Alex, Gwen, Sam & Taylor; siblings: Wayne & John Rouster and Marion Olmstead as well as many other relatives. Visit with his family on Tuesday December 23, 2014 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. at Life Story Funeral Homes, Portage; 5975 Lovers Lane (344-5600) where a funeral service will be held immediately following at 3:00 p.m. Please visit Bill’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory and sign the guest book. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan or Park Place Assisted Living Center.