William Ernest Koepp

William Ernest Koepp was born September 20, 1934, in Portage, Wisconsin to Herman and Elsie Koepp. He spent most of his younger childhood in Wisconsin. The family came to Los Angeles, California to be near family and to find work after WWII ended. In 1952, he graduated from John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles. After the earthquakes of 1952, the family moved to Bakersfield, California where he and his dad began working as journeyman carpenters.In 1957, Bill started working as a deputy in the Kern County Sheriff's Office, which lasted 32 years. He was on the pistol team and a member of the diving rescue squad; working in the Superior Court, as a bailiff, was his last assignment. Bill was an accomplished model builder, potter, weaver, furniture and cabinet maker; and planner of two vacation homes, where he did much of the work. Bill was also a true outdoorsman, spending every vacation hiking and backpacking in the Eastern Sierra. Bill & Gaye and many of their family and friends spent 30 glorious years exploring every pass, lake, and trail spread over 800 miles of trekking.Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Gaye Lenore, sons Gregory Karl Koepp, Brian Ernest Koepp, daughter Cynthia Ruth Koepp-Romero & daughter-in-law Adelina Madrid Romero-Koepp. Bill was a wonderful, kind and always positive husband, dad, and friend who was greatly admired and loved.Following Bill's wishes, cremation has taken place and he will be interred at Hillcrest Memorial Park in a private gathering.