William Glen Wise Jr. passed away on June 3, 2026, in Auburn, CA. Born on October 7, 1947, in Sheldon, MO. William, or “Bill” as he was often called, lived a life marked by hard work, determination, and resourcefulness, always thinking outside the box and never afraid to tackle a challenge. Beneath his stubborn streak and playful sense of humor was a man deeply devoted to his family, especially his grandchildren, and happiest when everyone was together.

Bill graduated from Armijo High School in Fairfield, CA, in 1966. After high school, he traded the typical teenage rebellion for a more structured kind: joining the U.S. Army. As a Construction Machine Operator, he proudly served in Company D of the 87th Engineer Battalion under the Pacific Command during the Vietnam War. His work in Vietnam included building and paving roads and airfields, a job that demanded skill, precision, and long hours behind heavy machinery. After completing one year in Vietnam, he made the decision to reenlist and return for a second tour, a reflection of his commitment to his fellow soldiers and his duty. With the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal adorning his service record, Sgt. SP5 Wise earned an honorable discharge after three years.

Bill was born with an entrepreneurial spirit (yes, he loved being the boss!). His career was shaped by a combination of skill, determination, and a willingness to seize opportunities when they arose. His father was a painter at a local auto body shop, where he got Bill an apprentice job learning the trade of painting cars. That was followed by a job with Benicia Industries, where he managed the process of importing, prepping, and shipping out automobiles. This paved the way for the real entrepreneur to emerge. He entered a business venture with his uncle, running a furniture store in Fairfield for two years. He then moved his family to Oroville, CA, where he owned/co-owned three auto body shops (Olive Autobody, S&W Auto Center, and Bill’s Autobody), a travel agency (Holiday Travel), a rental car agency, and a restaurant (The Oaks). His last venture was his most successful, North State Autobody in Jackson, CA. He poured his heart and soul into this business and proudly passed it on to his son after retiring.

When Bill saw a good business opportunity, he was all in, ready to roll up his sleeves, work hard, and do whatever it took to make it succeed. One very memorable opportunity was the time he spent money he and Sandy saved up when she was pregnant with their first child to purchase a Corvette. This was a purchase that definitely tested the marriage. He restored the corvette and sold it for twice what he paid and lived to tell the tale. Another exciting adventure was the time he bought a pontoon boat and put his DIY skills to use by fixing up the boat for fun family adventures on Lake Oroville. In true Bill fashion, he thought extending the bow six feet beyond the pontoons was a fantastic idea. It was an area the family could hang out and sunbathe on, until he decided to pick up speed, cruising across the lake and hitting a rogue wave head-on! Well, that wave nearly sank the boat. A memory was created that day that still gets lots of laughs at family gatherings.

Family, after all, was Bill’s proudest accomplishment. He married Sandra Elmore in 1970 and was married to her for 56 years. They built a life together that weathered its share of challenges and celebrated many joys along the way. Together, they raised three children: Brandy (1974), Holly (1977), and Billy (1982), who inherited their father’s spirit and perhaps his stubbornness as well. Bill’s legacy also extends to his five grandchildren—Evan, Gavyn, Sydney, Gage, and Regan—all of whom he supported enthusiastically in everything from scouting to softball, football, golf, soccer, and little league. He welcomed, with an open heart, Trent Clinton, Justin Pace, and Nikki Wise into his family when they married his children.

Over the years, many memories have been created for the Wise family. At every family gathering they regale in these memories, retelling the same stories over and over, laughing nonstop, and fondly recalling the good old days. This is the Wise way, and Bill wouldn’t have it any different.

Family vacations? Bill invested in those too, especially if it meant trips to Disneyland, his personal kingdom. He managed to instill a lifelong love of Disney in his three children. In the early years, these trips consisted of long car rides down to Anaheim in the times before technology. Bill would play the “whoever sees the first cow gets a dollar” game just to keep the kids from losing their minds during that 8-hour ride. This magic has happily been passed down to his five grandchildren, who, no matter how old they are, will always find Disney to be the happiest place on Earth.

Friday nights were cherished in the Wise household, often spent at Shakey’s Pizza in Oroville, where they delighted in the legendary ‘Pizzarito’—a taco pizza. Accompanied by adult pitchers of beer and kid-size soda pitchers, these nights were both a ritual and a symbol of Bill’s core value: family time.

Bill invested years upon years into his wife, children, and grandchildren, creating bonds that will last forever. He taught Sandy how to drive a stick shift (clearly not well enough because she backed into a pole), taught a 14 yr old Brandy how to drive on a Chevy truck up and down all the backroads of Oroville, supported Holly in her love of horses with horseback riding lessons, rebuilt a 1974 Chevy C10 with Billy for his senior project, took Evan to the golf course, saw that Evan was doing a bad job, told him to do better then proceeded to show him how to hit a golf ball into the far beyond, drilled a hole in Gavyn’s fingernail after he shut it in a car door to relieve the pressure, voluntold Sydney to paint his entire backyard fence then got his scooter stuck in the mud and made her push him out, banned Gage from ever driving his truck again because he said he drove like a crazy person, and bought a new bat for Regan whenever she had a “bad” game in softball. In his loving, sink or swim, my way or the highway way, he undoubtedly instilled strength, resilience, and a strong sense of family in those around him.

Bill’s roots run deep with the memory of his late parents, William Wise and Josie Wise, and sisters Nancy Wise and Carolyn Baker, whose memories he surely held close. They were all Wise's true and through, and where Bill was the baby of the family and was shaped into the man he grew to be.

William Glen Wise Jr. may have left this world, but his stories, stubborn spirit, and “outside-the-box” mindset will undoubtedly keep his family running at full speed for generations to come. He will be missed dearly, not just for his legion of talents, but for his unshakable spirit and the family gatherings punctuated by laughter that he so lovingly orchestrated. Here’s to Bill Wise: a man who truly knew how to keep his family at the center of everything he did.