William Paul Wells

Bill Wells, 72, of Richmond, passed away Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.



He was born in Dayton, Ohio, on May 7, 1946, to Finley Cornett and Mary (Thompson) Wells, both of whom preceded him in death. Bill graduated from Colonel White High School in 1964. William was a retired Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Michigan. William ran Track & Field at Tennessee Tech where he broke many records. He was the first Track Team Coach at Model Laboratory School, and he loved track events.

At the age of 70, even though he had a Master's Degree, William re-enrolled at EKU studying math so that he could help teach his children. He was a veteran having served in the US Air Force and a member of Faith Baptist Church of Richmond.

Survivors include his wife, Deborah Jean (Rogers) Wells; two sons, James Rogers Wells and Jacob Rogers; daughters, Mary Booker (Vernon), Kristy Jex (Tony) Paula McCain (Victor), Robin Hall (Brian), Ashlee Rogers Wells, Tiffany Wells, Melissa Hopkins (Jim), Kiesh Barrett, Shelby Brandenburg and Morgan Wells; two brothers, Richard and Ed Wells, one sister, Sonja Mapes, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a special life-long friend, Ron House.

Service for William will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, December 22, 2018, at the Mausoleum Chapel at Madison County Memorial Gardens, where entombment will follow. Pastor John Doss will officiate the service.

Visitation will be from 5 - 9 PM Friday, December 21, 2018 at Oldham, Roberts & Powell Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Caretenders, 5008 Atwood Dr. # 1, Richmond, KY 40475.SERVICES
William "Bill" Wells
By Jackie Winkler

On Facebook I sent Bill birthday wishes; I didn't know he had passed away. My wishes prompted a heartfelt apology from his grandson for not letting me know sooner. Getting to know Bill better before and after our 50th high school reunion communicated what it meant to be humble... Bill was an active "helper," an involved person who sought to help others in a variety of ways.
Ron House said of Bill: "I really miss Bill. We were friends for fifty-eight and one-half years. He was such a true friend."

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Following is a tribute written by Bill's grandson.

"He was the best man out there. They just don't make them like him anymore. He had a really rough year last year." (Bill's grandson, Ryan)

"So in June of last year his VAD (ventricular assist device (VAD) is a mechanical pump that is battery operated, the battery lasting about 10 hours before having to be replaced) started to give out. Even though there was a slim chance of his making it through the surgery, he begged his surgeon to do it anyway to give him more time with all of us, and it did; we got 6 more months with him. After the surgery he became septic. The surgery caused his non-alcoholic cirrhosis to worsen. At that time he was diagnosed with dementia that progressed very quickly. On the 18th of December he woke up and could not speak but a few words. He did nothing but holler out. He held his head so tight that he was leaving marks on his head. We then decided as a family that he would no longer want to live this way and made the collective decision to turn his VAD off and place him on hospice. He was gone within minutes of turning it off due to his heart being 100% dependent on it."

(Bill's grandson: "Thank you very much. It means so much. There were both tears shed and laughter shared in writing this tribute.")

"William "Bill" Wells went to be with the Lord and his wife of 46 years on December 19, 2018. Bill was the kindest, most selfless, gentle person to ever grace this earth. He served his country in the Air Force where he spent a year in Vietnam. After returning to the United States he went to Eastern Kentucky University to study special education. During his student teaching he started the track team at Model Laboratory School in Richmond, Kentucky. He loved track and ran it when he went to Tennessee Tech where he broke many records! He was a retired rehabilitation counselor for the state of Michigan. He loved caring for people; he adopted 6 children in total including myself (his grandchild). He was my favorite person because he did not have a hateful, selfish bone in his body. I can remember going to him for anything, and he was one of the most understanding people I've known. Grandpa loved 3 things: westerns, fishing, and Christ. He could sit in his easy chair for hours watching westerns. We once watched every episode of "Gunsmoke" on Netflix together. On the riverside "drowning worms and killing time" (or as most people call it fishing) was his happy place. It was where he went to reflect and marvel at God's creation; which brings me to love number 3, Christ. Bill loved Christ with his whole heart which showed in his unconditional love and care he showed to his family and those close to him. There will never be another like him. To say he was one of a kind would be an understatement."