William " Bill " F. Reese

William Foster Reese, "Bill", 71, a longtime Wenatchee Valley resident and Artist, passed away on Sunday, June 6, 2010 at his home in East Wenatchee. He was born on July 10, 1938 at Pierre, South Dakota to the late Harold and Margaret (Foster) Reese. The family moved to Peshastin when Bill was 2 years old and they later moved to Seattle, where he started first grade. They returned to Central Washington where they made their home in Cashmere and he started his 6th grade at school. It was at this time he went from drawings to oil paintings. He graduated from Cashmere High School in 1956 and continued his education at Washington State University for the next two years. In 1958, he met Frances Josephine Colbert and they were later married in Cashmere on December 26, 1959. They briefly made their home in Eugene, Oregon prior to moving to Fullerton, California where, Bill worked as a Sign Painter during the day and went to night school at the "Art Center School of Design" at night. In 1966, they moved to Bellevue where he painted signs as well as beginning his art career. He had worked as a sign painter and a sign pictorial artist for thirteen years, in Washington, Oregon and California while building a following for his easel paintings. In 1971, he left the sign business to work full time in his studio in Bellevue, where he also taught privately. In 1986, they moved to Woodinville where they remained until moving to Wenatchee in 1992 and in 1994, they opened a studio and gallery in Wenatchee. They moved to East Wenatchee in 1998. Through his career, Bill worked mostly in oil painting, but also worked in other media, such as watercolor, pastels, sculpture, drawings, lithographs and etchings. Reese as he was known in the Art Circles, had his works shown throughout the United States and in many exhibitions abroad. His work was included in the first exhibition of contemporary art from the western world in mainland China since the reopening. He has had many articles published in art magazines, was the subject of an award winning book entitled "Wm. F. Reese, American Artist", published in 1984, as well as one in 1985 entitled "Masterworks of American Art". His many national and regional awards include the Robert Lougheed gold medal, silver medal in oil painting, and the silver medal in drawing from the National Western Heritage Museum. Two silver medals from the National Parks Academy for the Arts and the Best of Show Colonel Smith Award from the National Wildlife Art Museum. Bill liked cowboy memorabilia, antique cars and street rods, tooling leather, playing the guitar and bluegrass music. He is survived by his wife, Frances "Fran" Reese, East Wenatchee; one son and daughter-in-law, Dean & Doris Reese, Maple Valley, WA; one daughter and son-in-law, Shelly & Bill Zadow, Auburn, WA; four grandchildren, Rafael Reese and Rachel Reese both of Maple Valley, WA and Nathan Zadow and Baden Zadow both of Auburn, WA; three brothers and sisters-in-law, Thomas & Carol Reese, Green Ban, WA, Donald & Peggy Reese, Bellevue, and Robert & Joyce Reese, Covington, WA and one sister, Bonnie Manowski, Buckley, WA. He was preceded in death by his father in 1980 and his mother in 1994. A Commemoration Service will be held on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at Cashmere Riverside Center, 201 Riverside Drive, Cashmere, WA. Concluding services and the interment will follow in Cashmere Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers memorial donations in his name are suggested to the Alpha I Foundation or the Cashmere Museum. Arrangements are in the care of Heritage Memorial Chapel, East Wenatchee.

William " Bill " F. Reese

July 10, 1938 - June 6, 2010