William H. Gheen

William Harris Gheen, age 86, of Coupeville, died at his home on April 4, 2006.

Mr. Gheen was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Jan. 19, 1920, to William Harris Gheen and Annie Pearl (Anderson) Gheen. He was raised in Southern Idaho. Following high school graduation, he joined the Civilian conservation Corps, and then the Army at the beginning of World War II. During the war, he served in Africa and Italy under General Patton. Having been wounded in action, he was returned to the States, where he spent some time recuperating in the Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, in 1945.

He was married to Thelma Martin on Feb. 20, 1945. The couple moved to Logan, Utah, where William attended Utah State University. He graduated with a degree in Industrial Arts. Following graduation, he taught school in Ashton, Idaho. They returned to Utah, later moving to Ely, Nev., in 1958, then to Las Vegas in 1960. He took classes at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and became an elementary school teacher there. He retired from teaching around 1980. Thelma died on March 6, 1984. He married Flora Tegler in October 1984. In 2002, he moved from Las Vegas to Oak Harbor.

William is survived by his son Kay Gheen and wife Lana of Oak Harbor; daughter Ann Thompson of Tuba City, Ariz.; eight grandchildren, Mokihana, Kenneth, Kourtney, Michael and Paul Gheen, all of Anchorage, Ala., Kris Beecher of Tempe, Ariz., and Greg and Sean Thompson of Tuba City; one great-grandchild, Timber Gheen of Anchorage; two sisters, Pauline Rudd of Mesa, Ariz., and Betty Williams and husband Lou of Boise. He was preceded in death by his two wives.

Services will be held Friday, April 14, at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Davis Funeral Home, 6200 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, with Grave Dedication following at Paradise Memorial Gardens. Local arrangements are under direction of Burley Funeral Chapel, and Davis Funeral Chapel in Las Vegas.