Dec. 22, 1952 - Sept. 18, 2012

Bill Gnaedinger, 59, of Pullman, Wash., passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, at Pullman Regional Hospital in Pullman.

Bill was born at the Wallace Hospital in Wallace to Dr. and Mrs. E.E. (Ned) Gnaedinger. It was rumored that Bill was born reading a science fiction book, but the family is sure that he didn’t start reading until he was at least 1 year old. He did make up for lost time by reading the World Encyclopedia A to Z.

Bill lived a normal Wallace childhood of camping, fishing, playing in the mountains and skiing at Lookout Pass. Later, he was to excel in skiing, racing many venues around the Pacific Northwest. He especially liked the downhill. Bill also excelled in school and participated in Thespian programs, High School Bowl as well as playing Wa Hi football.

Bill continued his education at the University of Oregon and was forever a devoted Duck fan. He graduated with degrees in anthropology and Latin American studies. He took a short stint at the “Burke School of Mines” (Star Mine) and stayed for eight years before returning to school at WSU and getting a degree in education. Bill taught English, social studies and reading in both Ely, Nev., and Grandview, Wash., before furthering his studies at WSU where he earned his master’s degree in counseling.

Bill met the love of his life Dorothy “Dede” Wiley in 1987 while going to school at WSU and they became inseparable over the years. They loved to travel, visiting Thailand, Malaysia and Denmark and Europe. They spent time in Maine and at Killarney Lake in Idaho. They backpacked and whitewater rafted anywhere and everywhere, culminating with a 16-day trip through the Grand Canyon with friends on the Colorado River in 2008 with Bill rowing Dede through the challenging rapids.

Bill and Dede resided in Pullman, where Dede was an attorney until her retirement in 2011. Bill is survived by his love, Dede Wiley; and his siblings, Mike (Sandy) Gnaedinger of Ephrata, Wash., Kristi Gnaedinger of Wallace and Leslie Gnaedinger (Niels Floistrup) of Jordlose, Denmark. Bill also leaves a wonderful support group of friends in the Palouse, Wash., area — Pullman, Moscow, Palouse, from his undergraduate days at U.O., and from the Wallace area. He regularly attended the yearly King Street Invitational (a party for people who grew up on King Street in Wallace, as did Bill).

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, at the Wallace Elks Club. All of Bill’s many friends are invited to share their stories.

Contributions can be made to the Wallace Elks Club, 419 Cedar St., Wallace, ID 83873 and the Wallace Carnegie Library, 415 River St., Wallace, ID 83873.

Kimball Funeral Home, Pullman, Wash., is caring for the family. Online condolences may be sent to www.kimballfh.com.