William Joseph Maiers, Jr.

William Joseph Maiers, Jr of Bremerton died on 24 February 2014 at 100 years of age.

He was born in San Luis Obispo, CA to William J. Maiers, Sr and Flossie M. (Cole) Maiers on 4 February 1914. When he was 6 months of age, they moved to Bellingham, WA where he was raised and attended school, graduating from Whatcom High School in 1932. After returning from playing in a dance band aboard a steamship to China, he boarded a train to Washington, DC where he accepted employment in the US Dept of Agriculture. He worked there until 1945 when he transferred to the Office of Housing Expediter, an agency for building homes for veterans. From 1947 until 1956 he worked at the Naval Research Laboratory in Anacostia, DC, transferring to the Ordnance Dept of the Navy's Big Gun Plant in Pocatello, ID in 1956. Upon its closure in 1959, he transferred to the former Naval Torpedo Station at Keyport, WA, from which he retired in 1973.

He married Margaret Atkins of Mineral, VA in 1941 and they had 3 sons, William (Jolene) of Poulsbo, Gary of Mesa, AZ, and Donald (Debbie) of Bremerton. Margaret preceded him in death in 1977. He married Norma Morris of Bremerton in 1979 and she preceded him in death in 2001.

He served the former Navy Yard Metal Trades Credit Union, now the Kitsap Credit Union, as a volunteer and member of the Board of Directors for 50 years. He was elected Director Emeritus upon his retirement from the Board in 2002.

He loved to travel and he traveled extensively in Japan and China in 1934 and later throughout the U.S. and Europe. He was an avid photographer and took great pleasure in creating a visual record of his travels, family and nature, for which he won many awards.

He is a member of Manette Community Church where he served as a Deacon and Treasurer. In addition to being a member of the Masons, he was Dad Advisor to the Bremerton Chapter, Order of DeMolay, during the 1960s and was awarded the Cross of Honor by the International Supreme Council in 1970.

Survivors include his three sons, granddaughters Laurie Reynoldson of Boise, ID, Theresa Kempf of Gig Harbor, and Shannon Maiers of Bremerton, his great grandson and granddaughter Ethan and Emerson Kempf of Gig Harbor, and his step son and step daughter Lynn Morris of Big Timber, MT and Paula Jackson of Bremerton. His grandson, Geoffrey Maiers preceded him in death.

At his request, a private graveside service with his immediate family members was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Bremerton.