William Jon "Bill" Figeley

William Jon "Bill" Figeley of Bellevue, MI

Bill, age 51, died Thursday, July 27, 2017 at his residence following a 1½ year battle with cancer.

Bill, the son of William Jacob and Sharon Ruth (Jones) Figeley, was born in South Haven, MI on August 7, 1965 and was a 1984 graduate of South Haven High School. He was employed as a Senior Analyst in the Tax Code Department of Thomson & Reuters for the past 15 years, up until this last Friday. Bill was a member of St. Philip Roman Catholic Church, Battle Creek. A natural and gifted athlete, Bill was a competitive swimmer; an avid bicyclist; a member and Secretary of the Kalamazoo Bike Club; and a nationally-ranked triathlete for many years. His crowning achievement was being one of the few people to climb Mt. Rainier to its peak and climb the Tetons twice! Bill was the "Ultimate Outdoorsman," and enjoyed a lifetime of adventures camping, fishing, hunting, backpacking, and mountain climbing. In his quieter moments, he thrived on carpentry and mechanical projects. He also loved to play guitar and mandolin at Blue Grass festivals and as a volunteer at area nursing homes.

Bill was united in marriage to Christine A. Dobbertien in Maryville, TN on February 23, 2005. Surviving is his wife, Chris; his step-daughter, Gabrielle P. "Gabby" Steele of Grand Rapids, MI; two grandchildren, Gwyneth M. Steele and Finnegan M. Steele; his mother, Sharon Jones of Dowagiac, MI and his sister, Melinda K. (Ronald) Dean of Austin, TX, and many adored nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his father, Bill in 2010.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 2nd at 11:00 a.m. at St. Philip Roman Catholic Church, 92 Capital Avenue, NE, Battle Creek, with Father John D. Fleckenstein, Celebrant. A luncheon will follow the mass in the St. Philip Parish Center. Final interment will be at 2:00 p.m. in Assyria Township Cemetery, Barry County, MI. Bill's family will greet friends on Tuesday, August 1st from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care, Battle Creek, where the Parish Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions in Bill's honor may be directed to the Ammavodi Orphanage in India, c/o Father Simon Chummar-Manjooran, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 110 N. Cedar Street, Allegan, MI 49010.