William Bill Rainwater

William Charles (Bill) Rainwater, 70, of Jay, Okla., died Sept. 24, 2014, at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale, Ark. He was born Oct. 8, 1943, in Tulsa, Okla., to Opal Norma Cohea Rainwater and George Andrew Rainwater. He graduated from Springdale High School in Springdale, Ark., in 1961. He received a bachelor's degree in biology from Arkansas Tech in Russellville, Ark., in 1966, and a master's degree in natural sciences from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., in 1968. He married Sheryl Lynn Deay of Bentonville, Ark., on Nov. 22, 1969, and they were married 42 years. He worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service part time while getting his master's degree and then worked full time for them for 16 years as a research biologist in Fayetteville, Ark. In 1983, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife closed the Fayetteville station. Bill then worked for M and M Plumbing in Centerton, Ark., until 1985. He returned to the fisheries field for the city of Tulsa at Spavinaw, Okla., working on Tulsa's water supply lakes, and later became a reservoir biologist for Tulsa until his retirement in October 2010, 25 years later. He loved to hunt, fish, do woodworking and was an avid reader. He cherished his family and friends and was a member of the Southside Church of Christ in Jay, Okla. His parents, Andrew and Opal Rainwater, and his wife, Sheryl Deay Rainwater, preceded him in death. He is survived by one daughter, Ashley Rainwater Malone (William Richmond) of Katy, Texas; two sisters, Ann Rainwater Henry (Morriss) of Fayetteville, Ark., and Jerre Rainwater Jouett (Jerry) of Longview, Texas; two grandchildren, Rhett Richmond Malone and Tate William Malone; four nephews, Paul and Mark Henry, Jason and Jeff Jouett; a niece, Katherine Henry Baltz; and 19 great-nephews and nieces. Visitation will be at 10:30 a.m. at the Southside Church of Christ before the services at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, at the Southside Church of Christ in Jay, Okla., where he was a member. To give words of comfort, visit Worley-Luginbuel Funeral Home, www.honoringmemories.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to www.friendsofhobbs.com for conservation education; or to Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Road, Springdale, AR 72764.