Obituary of William Henry Halverson

William “Bill” Halverson sailed off into the sunset Feb 19^th, 2023, after 75 years on this Earth. We like to think his ship is destined for the great hall of Valhalla where all good Norwegian warriors reside in blissful eternity.

Bill passed with his wife and daughter at his side in Boise, ID after illness overcame what strength remained in his heart. The odds were stacked against him, and he passed surrounded in love.

Bill was born June 22, 1947, in Madison WI, the third son to Charles “LeRoy” Halverson and Mary Belle Stanford Halverson. The baby of the family, Bill enjoyed adventuring with his two older brothers, Gene and Tom. Getting into general mischief by bringing home critters and experimenting with his chemistry set, he only blew up the garage once.

When Bill was starting grade school, the family moved to Phoenix AZ where the adventure continued. He grew to appreciate the beauty of the desert and developed into a gearhead by riding dirt bikes, racing dragsters at Beeline, and cruising Central Ave through high school.

At the ripe old age of 19 he met and fell for Mary Margaret Haley, the cute gal working in the bakery while he was working in produce at El Rancho Market. What luck after agreeing to a blind date with mutual friends.

Bill’s love for his ‘68 Chevy El Camino 327 was only overshadowed by his love of Mary Margaret’s fun-loving spirit and short skirts. It sparked the love of a lifetime, and they were married May 2, 1970, in Phoenix AZ.

Bill & Mary later moved to Brevard County, Florida, where they welcomed their one and only daughter, Kelcey Rose in 1980.

On a chance encounter, Bill went sailing with friends which awakened a love for the open water. With enthusiasm he learned to sail, reading the wind, setting the spinnaker, and racing up and down Florida’s Space Coast. No matter the challenge, there was never a bad day spent on the river with good friends, cold beer, and good music. An active member at Melbourne Yacht Club, he was not one to miss a rum race or a seafood fest.

Bill was a self-taught electrical engineer, and fate once again stepped in as he found himself interviewing at Micron in Boise, ID in the dead of winter 1991. He stepped off the plane back in FL with a snow shovel and a job offer.

They were off to Idaho - or was it Iowa? Hard to know from the East Coast! Settling in the Boise foothills, Bill rekindled his love for the mountains while exploring the beauty of Idaho. He enjoyed entertaining the neighbors hosting potlucks, storytelling with friends, and the occasional ice block adventure down Simplot’s hill. With a love of music and audio equipment, one could hear Bill driving into the neighborhood or rattling the house with a good Rolling Stones tune.

After a handful of years on the move; back to Phoenix AZ, to Redmond, OR, then back to Idaho, Bill and Mary landed in Meridian in early 2020. During the last 15 years, Bill welcomed a son-in-law and two admiring grandsons into the family.

With the news of Bill’s passing the family has been moved by the outpour of love and support. It’s apparent how much Bill impacted those around him, making people laugh by sharing a joke or story. He was a calm and friendly spirit and easily connected with people. For that we will always miss his presence and celebrate his fun spirit.

Bill is survived by his wife Mary Margaret, daughter Kelcey Roshak, son-in-law Tim Roshak, grandsons Leo and Dylan, brother Thomas Halverson, sister-in-law Judy Peters, brother-in-law Kevin Haley, niece Teri Flannery, and nephew Michael Halverson.  He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gene, sisters-in-law Donna, Betty and Connie and nephew Doug Halverson.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks any memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association. A celebration of life will follow this spring.

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