William Hartley

William Mac Hartley passed away peacefully in the early hours of November 1, 2017 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Bill was born in Battle Creek on October 4, 1933, to Warren and Jessie Hartley and is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Kay Hartley. Bill attended Battle Creek Central High School and eventually planted his permanent roots in the Kalamazoo area. Bill started his career with Upjohn as a custodian and became an integral part of the Chemical Process Research and Development team. In 1985, Bill was awarded the Upjohn Award, the highest company honor for excellence in service. As a further validation of his work, Bill was published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry in 1993. In the years after retirement, Bill loved fishing, traveling, photography, and spending the winter months with Kay in Texas. However, nothing made him light up like time spent with family and friends. His kind eyes, honest smile, and hearty laugh were undeniably genuine and loved by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. William Hartley's legacy simply cannot be overstated. Bill was preceded in death by his children Larry Hartley, Diane Hartley, and Brett Fry as well as siblings Jack Hartley and Catherine Keniston. Surviving Bill are his wife, Kay; sister Marian (Doug); children Bill (Laura), Chris (Fran), Dan (Patti), Garry (Susie), Deb (Terry) and Mike (Edna); stepchildren Brian (Blake), Mary Kay (Mike) and Bruce (Maggie); 21 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. The family invites you to celebrate Bill's life on Saturday November 11, 2017 at Valley Family Church in the cathedral at 2500 Vincent Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49024. Fellowship will take place at 10:00am followed by a memorial service at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wings of Hope Hospice at 530 Linn Street Allegan, MI 49010.