Beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, doctor and friend, William “Bill” Nick Dire, M.D., 88, of Wallace, Idaho, passed away Jan. 18, 2021, at Kootenai Health of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He was born Sept. 19, 1932, in Wallace, Idaho; Bill was the son of John and Mary Josephine (Santa Marco) Dire.

Bill attended and graduated from Wallace High School in 1950; while attending high school, Bill excelled in football, basketball and track. He also served as president of the Wallace Key Club and was the first governor for the Key Club district. He then furthered his education and completed college in just three years at the University of Idaho, receiving his Bachelor’s degree. Bill then attended and graduated from the University Of Oregon Medical School.

Bill married Barbara Ann Church on Nov. 14, 1959, at the General Patton Memorial Hospital Chapel of Heidelberg, Germany. Barbara had served as a surgical nurse.

Bill completed his residency at the Minneapolis General Hospital of Minneapolis, Minn. He then served in the U.S. Army in Germany for two years. After returning to the states, he practiced in Spokane, Wash., for five years at the Sacred Heart Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Deaconess and Holy Family. Bill then returned to the Silver Valley in Sept. of 1965, opening up his own practice of which he operated for 33 years. He retired in July of 1998.

Bill was a member of the Shoshone Golf Club, the Wallace Elks #331, the Wallace Gyro Club, Spokane Medical Society and the Shoshone Medical Society. He loved and enjoyed golfing, spending time with his family, barbecued steaks, Sunday spaghetti dinners and banana cream pies.

Bill is survived by three children: William Dire, Jr. (Jamee Sperry) of Wallace, Don M. (Gretchen) Dire of Vancouver, Wash. and Suzanne (Chuck) Caswell of Post Falls, Idaho; six grandchildren: Megan, Hayley, Taylor, Nick, Dominic and Mackenzie; three great-grandchildren: Jadlyn, Layla and Miles. Bill is also survived by several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Dominic Dire; one sister, Lena MacGuffie; and his beloved wife, Barbara, who passed away Sept. 17, 2002.

Memorial services and a reception will be held and announced sometime this summer.

The family suggests that memorials may be made to the Wallace Elks, 419 Cedar St., Wallace, ID 83873, or to the Shoshone Golf Course, 2000 Country Club Road, Kellogg, ID 83837, or to the Wallace Swimming Pool c/o City of Wallace, 703 Cedar St., Wallace, ID 83873.

You may share your memories of Bill and sign his guest book at www.shoshonefuneralservice.com

SHOSHONE FUNERAL SERVICES & CREMATORY KELLOGG, IDAHO is entrusted with services.