William Luther Grenoble, III – Obituary
William Luther Grenoble, III, known familiarly as “Bill”, died peacefully at Elmcroft Senior Living Center on December 12, 2014 at the age of 94.
Bill is survived by his children W. L. “Skip” Grenoble (Prudence) of State College, PA, Dane Grenoble (Zlata) of The Woodlands, TX, and Marjorie Esenwine (John) of Parkersburg, WV. Bill was preceded in death by his loving wife Miriam, who passed on December 11, 1996. Bill had two loving siblings who also preceded him in death: Dorothy “Betty” Wright, his sister, and Eloise Lutz, his half-sister.
Bill’s legacy lives on with many grandchildren (Allison, Krista, Kirsten, Lynn, Susanne, William Luther V and Jacob) and great grandchildren (Jenna, Matthew, Anjuli, Carter, William Luther VI, Lila, Wyatt, Genevieve, Stella and Liam).
Bill was born on August 23, 1920 to William Luther Grenoble, Jr. and Margaret Virginia Hinds. Bill attended Lincoln Elementary. It was around this time that he got his first dog, Ranger. It was the start of a lifelong love of man’s best friend. “I think my parents got me the dog so they could find me. If they couldn’t pick me out in the crowd of children playing, there was Ranger, and he was a real stand out. Ranger went with me wherever I’d go. He would walk to school with me in the morning. The school wouldn’t allow him to lie outside the school and wait, so he eventually found a small lot close to the school. We walked home for lunch in those days“.
Bill found his sweetheart in high school. Miriam was two years his junior. “That was a no-no. A lot of girls didn’t do that, date upperclassmen. I was a senior and she was a sophomore. Sometimes I got accused of babysitting.” But he knew she was the one because, “every time I turned around, there she was.”
Bill and Miriam were married in 1941 after she graduated high school. Soon after he became ill with tuberculosis which led to a yearlong residency in a TB sanatorium. When he was released, Lock Haven was a prosperous town. Piper Aircraft Corporation had moved to Lock Haven in 1937 and young men from all over the country were coming to Lock Haven to learn to fly. Bill, too, earned a pilot’s license at Piper.
Bill graduated from Lock Haven High School in 1938 and went on to attend Lock Haven State Teachers College planning to teach math. He was the first in his family to attended college and served as the president of the Delta Rho Beta fraternity. He left college in his senior year to work for the Post Office after learning that mail carriers earned more than teachers. “The Guidance Counselor called me in to his office one day to try to get me to stay. I happened to have a piece of paper that showed the pay structure for Post Office employees. After the Guidance Counselor looked at it, he said, ‘Once you get to this point, you will be earning more than me’.”
Bill served as a mail carrier for more than 38 years making deliveries, sometimes twice a day, in all kinds of weather. He said, “That job is the reason I still go to church on Sunday. I believed it saved my life. I was never particularly healthy and working outside, the walking and exercise. I don’t think I would be here today if it weren’t for the job with the post office.” Bill retired from the Post Office in 1981.
Bill was a member of St. Luke’s United Church of Christ, joining in 1948 and served on the church council He was an active member of Golden K and a past President. Bill also volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels and a bell ringer for the Salvation Army.
Bill and Miriam began their family and raised three children in Lock Haven. It was a life strongly rooted in the Lock Haven community especially through their dedication to St. Luke’s Church. The family lived in an apartment in the church until 1954. In addition to working for the Post Office, Bill and Miriam ran the ice cream shop known as the “Dipsy Doodle” which they managed for several years.
“You know, I thought I was so smart because I went to college and she didn’t. But she ended up being smarter than me. All the smarts our children got, they got them from her.” Bill was particularly proud of his children and grandchildren’s academic achievements. His children and grandchildren, combined, have two PhDs, one MD, three MBAs, two Masters of Science, nine Bachelor’s degrees.
Bill is a man who saw the world change dramatically in his 94 years. He often remarked on the vastness of the Universe or delighted in the latest technology in cell phones. To his last days, he embraced the world with the calm, peaceful reflection that only comes from a life well lived. Bill, indeed, had many blessings in his life and leaves an incredible legacy but it is his kind and generous spirit, the humor with which he approached life and the great joy he shared with those around him that is the legacy that will keep him forever in our hearts.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at St. Luke’s United Church of Christ, 1175 West Fourth Street, Lock Haven, PA 17745. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Luke’s Church .The family would like to thank all those who lovingly cared for Bill along his journey.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Donald G. Walker Funeral Home, Inc., 231 High St., Flemington.
Online condolences may be given by visiting www.donaldwalkerfuneralhome.com
(Portions of this obituary were previously published in a biographical article of Mr. Grenoble which was authored by Gina Giacomantonio and appeared in the Lock Haven Express.)
