William "Bill" Joseph McNeilis' Obituary
William “Bill” Joseph McNeilis passed away at home on Sunday, December 4, 2022. He was 83 years old. He is survived by his wife Shirley and three sons: Jason (Jamie), Christian, and Robert. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Alexis and Jonathan. He was preceded in death by his mother Myrtle and step-father Robert Buck and his father, Francis McNeilis.
While born in Illinois, Bill’s family relocated to Arizona when he was a young boy. Bill graduated from Phoenix Union High School. After high school he attended junior college before joining the Arizona National Guard. Bill attended basic training in Monterey, California. While there he fell in love with the beauty of the Monterey Peninsula which became a favorite vacation destination later in life. Bill was also a graduate of Arizona State University (ASU) where he met his future wife and love of his life, Shirley. They wed shortly after graduating from ASU, and together they raised three sons (Jason, Chris, and Rob) in Arizona.
Bill had a 33-year banking career in dealer finance and managed offices in Mesa, Tuscon, and Phoenix which made loans to large automobile and RV dealerships. He started his career with Arizona Bank and attended Consumer Banking School at the University of Virginia and ultimately retired from Bank of America in Las Vegas. Bill was an avid Sun Devil fan and attended all their football games for years as a season ticket holder. After retiring, Bill and Shirley moved back to Arizona for several years before permanently relocating to Cornelius, North Carolina to be closer to their only grandchildren, Alexis and Jonathan. Bill thoroughly enjoyed finally “having a girl” and being present to see both grandchildren grow into young adults. Later in life Bill became an avid Turner classic movie buff. A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 12th at 2 p.m. at Community in Christ Lutheran Church in Cornelius. In lieu of giving flowers, the family requests charitable donations be made to Community in Christ Lutheran Church and their ministries.
James Funeral Home of Huntersville, NC is serving the family of Mr. McNeilis and online condolences can be made to jamesfuneralhomelkn.com.
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