WILLIAM MCPHERSON Obituary

MCPHERSON III
WILLIAM "BILL" SMITH MCPHERSON III
March 3, 1941 December 5, 2020
William Smith "Bill" McPherson III passed away on December 5th, 2020 in Bullhead City, AZ.
Bill was the eldest twin born to W.S. Jr. and Jane Hedrick McPherson in Colorado Springs, CO on March 3, 1941. He grew up in Colorado Springs and attended Palmer High School graduating in 1959. He earned his B.A. in Education in 1963 from Colorado State College in Greeley and was a proud member of Theta XI Fraternity. Bill had many loves in this life; in 1964, he married his high school sweetheart Patricia Zentz, and together they had three children in Bozeman: William (Bill), Kathleen, and Melissa; they later divorced in 1982. In 1987, he met Karen Schmidt McCoy at the Western Cafe where they fell in love over plates of chicken fried steak; they were married for 25 years until Karen's passing in 2014. Bill's final love up until his passing was Sherri Lawhon; the two shared a delightful life together in Bullhead City, AZ. Bill also had a love for his many canine companions who were always treated as royalty.
Bill taught elementary school from 1964-65 in Colorado Springs and then moved into retail sales for Standard Oil from 1965 - 1972 which was the catalyst for moving from Colorado to Montana in 1968. In 1972, Bill transitioned into selling cars for Don Norem Chevrolet, ultimately rising to the general sales manager position for Connell Chevrolet retiring in 1999 to Arizona. Selling cars in the Bozeman area for over 25 years, Bill earned the reputation as "Honest Bill". His love of the automobile started at a young age and over his lifetime he owned over fifteen Mercedes Benzs' and fully restored two. Throughout many decades you could always find him tinkering under the hood. If he wasn't fine tuning a Benz, you could find him in his shop restoring and building clocks for hours on end. With over 100 clocks ticking and chiming on his walls, his home was filled with an elegant resound.
Storytelling was yet another talent of Bill's. He enjoyed sharing the compelling history of the McPherson family with great detail and flair. His sharp wit and extensive knowledge of world history was always present in his colorful anecdotes with a few swear words for flourish.
Never one to turn down a juicy steak and a glass of wine, Bill was a connoisseur of fine food and enjoyed sharing this passion to those who gathered around his table. He loved chatting while cooking in his kitchen as Frank Sinatra crooned in the background. We raise a glass to you Dad/Pap Finn. Bill is preceded in death by his parents, W.S. "Bill" and Jane McPherson, his twin brother, Charles Buchanan McPherson, and his former wives, Patricia McPherson Morgan and Karen Schmidt McCoy McPherson. Bill is survived by his three children: W. S. "Bill" McPherson IV (Cathy) of San Diego, Kathleen McPherson-Glynn (Ken Glynn) and Melissa McPherson Summerfield (Leif) of Bozeman, and his grandchildren Will, Avery, Sophia, Ethan, Noah and Katrina. Stepdaughter, Lori McCoy of Boulder City, NV and her children Jenny, Matt and John. Finally, he is survived by Sherri Lawhon of Arizona, his sweetie and constant companion for the last six years.
A private family memorial will take place this summer.