William Everett Gundry

Daughter Alli said it well, “The time we had together was not nearly enough and the hole he leaves is immeasurable. I will miss him and love him forever, but I will try to ‘live like Bill’ everyday.”

William Everett “Bill” Gundry packed a lot of life into 61 years. He died July 14, 2026, at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins after a short illness. Bill was born to William Edward “Bill” and Joan Gundry on October 15, 1964, in Beloit, Wisconsin. 

Bill had a spirit of adventure even as a toddler. He would climb out of his crib and his parents would find him asleep on the closet floor. As a child he loved playing with his little green Army men and sitting on a coffee can in the combine while his dad worked the field. 

At that time, the Gundrys’ had the biggest farm in Northern Illinois. When Bill got a little older, he persuaded his dad to let him disc the field. He managed to take out a few fences and occasionally hit a farm truck. Sunday was a day of rest and a time for the Gundry family to take a drive and watch the corn grow.

His sister Sue recalled fondly their family vacations in a pop-up camper. Their sister Pam would lay across the back seat, Bill would sleep on the floor of the car and Sue would lay in the back window. In Florida, Bill ate frog legs at every restaurant they went to, and in Colorado he somehow couldn’t manage to stay atop the horse he was riding.

Bill loved history and music. He kept an entire set of encyclopedias in his room and loved National Geographic magazine. He had a particular penchant for aircraft, ships and cars as well as wars, particularly World War II and the Civil War. As for music, he liked it loud. The louder, the better. Especially when he was mowing lawns.

He and his dad had a special Christmas tradition that likely evolved out of some very poor planning. They would go to the casino on Christmas Eve and shop for their beloved wife and mother. Those gifts were surely memorable!

Bill went to work at Woodward’s original headquarters in Rockford, Illinois, at age 13. On the prompting of his mom, he went in to test for the company’s recruitment program and was accepted. He was fine with having a job. A little excited even to have his own money. What he wasn’t excited about? The requisite haircut to meet company standards. Sue remembers him sitting on his bedroom floor crying about the pending loss of locks.

Once Bill started the job, though, it was clear he had found his niche. He worked part-time at Woodward throughout his teen years on the landscaping crew and in all the shop departments.

He went full-time after graduating from Hononegah High School in Rockton, Illinois, in 1982. His career with Woodward ended up spanning more than four decades and myriad sales, quality and lean production roles. In 2002, he was asked to run the Loveland site, much to the delight of his wife, an outdoors lover who couldn’t wait to get to Colorado. A variety of additional roles followed before he concluded as director of excellence for the True North team in Fort Collins, the company’s current headquarters. Bill loved his job, the people and the company. 

When he retired after 40 years, numerous colleagues spoke at his retirement party about what an impact Bill had on them. He was an exceptional teacher, coach, mentor and friend. He had amazing relationships across Woodward’s global plants and made friends at every location and across all cultures.

Bill married his best friend, Stephanie Schmidt, on May 31, 1986. Earlier this year, they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. The two met through mutual friends their senior year of high school. Stephanie said Bill’s mom packed him great lunches and she ended up stealing them from him in high school. They loved driving around in Bill’s cool ’72 Stephanie Camaro and shooting pool.

The couple welcomed two children, Benjamin “Ben” and Alexandria “Alli.” Both have countless special memories about time spent with their dad and numerous examples of how he lived by the values he held dear. Bill taught his children how to be strong and independent, to work hard and to never take anything for granted. Throughout their lives, Ben and Alli knew they could turn to their dad whenever they needed advice and they could count on him to reach out with random phone calls or silly text messages or to just stop by to say hey.

Travel was another passion of Bill’s. There were trips with the grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin to Disney World as well as vacations to Germany, Paris and Scotland. Bill’s mom said she will forever treasure going with them to Germany. The family also went on a Disney cruise, during which Bill required Alli to try escargot and caviar. She was not a fan!

When he found out son Ben and daughter-in-law Kate were going to have a baby, Bill was over the moon. He and 1-year-old Jack had a very special bond and Bill was really looking forward to taking him camping and fishing in the future.

Bill’s hobbies included woodworking, fishing, hunting, shooting and hiking. He loved working with wood and crafted numerous special pieces for loved ones. After they retired, Bill and Stephanie volunteered with the Colorado Trail Foundation. They thought it would be a great way to spend time together and to support the trails that avid hiker Stephanie loves so much. The two signed up to be cooks for the base camps. They would cook for anywhere from 15 to 25 volunteers for five to seven days. In true Bill fashion, he tried to rework the camp kitchen to flow better, wanted tablecloths to improve the ambience and would plan exceptional meals that far exceeded camping expectations.

Bill had a special gift for finding out what people needed and would end up mentoring many who crossed his path. Last year, he met a young man who was soul searching. He and Bill talked all day at camp. That was classic Bill. He never met a stranger and was always willing to lend an ear, a hand and a big heart.

Bill made an impact on everyone he encountered. He lived life humbly, graciously and carefree. He always had a smile on his face and could find the good in any situation. He never let anything get to him and recognized that life was precious. After his discovery of coronary artery disease at age 35, he truly embodied that every day is a gift. He had an endless pursuit of joy and adventure. His laughter was infectious and his zest for life was unparalleled.

The family is planning a private celebration of life for Bill. Per his request, there will be no funeral. Instead, his collection of bourbon and Scotch will be shared with family and friends. He always said that’s what it’s for: to be shared with loved ones over great conversations. After all, Bill was a master storyteller. It was usually something he had heard on the radio or television, but he could tell it like it was his own story. Then he’d hit you with the punchline and it would clearly not be a Gundry original.

In his honor, the family encourages all who knew and loved Bill to keep his stories alive and to live like Bill with joy, adventure and a zest for life.

Survivors include: wife Stephanie Gundry of Fort Collins; daughter Alexandria Gundry of Windsor; son Benjamin, daughter-in-law Katelyn and grandson Jack Gundry of Wellington; mother Joan Gundry of Loveland; sister Susan Gundry of Greeley; niece Jessica and husband Matt and their daughter Ayla Adams of Roscoe, Illinois; as well as numerous extended family members, dear friends, cherished colleagues and Colorado trail enthusiasts.

Bill was preceded in death by his father, William Edward Gundry, and one sister, Pam (Gundry) Harris.

Memorial donations may be made to the Colorado Trail Foundation at https:// www.coloradogives.org/donate/Coloradotrailfoundation or https://coloradotrail.org/donate/.