“Wild Bill” is the quintessential nickname for such a diverse man who has touched countless lives, so many hearts, and gave endlessly in service. He prospered and flourished throughout various communities and organizations.
Bill was consistently seen at numerous Inland Empire events capturing heartfelt and timeless moments with his camera, engaging with people and dedicating his time to those who needed it the most.
Bill Nessel, aka “Wild Bill,” was born March 4, 1942 in Chicago, IL and passed January 1, 2019 in Loma Linda, CA. Bill was the first born son to Earl and Margaret Nessel, along with his two brothers Bernard and Robert. Bill attended Saint John Vianny School, Northlake, IL, and graduated from East Leyden High School, Franklin Park, IL.
Bill married Audrey and had two beautiful children, Keith and Cheryl. The family made the move to California in the early ‘70s. Bill became employed for printing equipment as a salesman. One of his first sales calls he told of, was when he was driving to Palm Springs in a wool suit during a typical sunny Southern California summer day. He quickly fell in love with casual, sunny California weather, and was especially pleased there was no snow in sight!
In 1973, Bill had joined the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as a Reserve Deputy doing mounted search and rescue in law enforcement. He served with the Fontana West Valley Mounted Posse where he worked search and rescue events on his beloved horse, Lobo. It was there that he became Unit Commander twice, and a Reserve Deputy Chief for three years. He pioneered the first use of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and remained dedicated to search and rescue until his retirement from the Sheriff’s Department in 1997 due to personal reasons.
He was the recipient of the Richard Holm Memorial Award in 1999. The Richard Holm Memorial Award is the most prestigious award given at The Fontana West Valley Sheriff’s Posse for dedication and professionalism. It is an extreme honor and significant to those who receive it because it is an award that is not given often.
In 1978, Bill’s family grew when he married Jolene. Bill and Jolene celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this past November with their extended family, The Amputee Connections. Bill and Jolene met when Bill came to work for and then later became owner and operator of Print Quick Instant Printing and 9-2-5 Office Supplies for 20+ years.
Bill adopted Jolene’s daughter, Gena, as his own. Gena speaks very highly of her father and the love she received from him, “Bill was a great father and an amazing man. He had a fantastic sense of humor and a smile that everyone looked forward to seeing. Family was everything to him. Bill and my mom just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. He told me how proud he was of that and how much he loved her. They were a dynamic team.
He taught me so many things that I’m very grateful for. Do everything to the best of your ability, never give up, respect others, be there for others, work hard, be happy, and have fun. He made you realize that you can do anything once you get over yourself.
He was a great listener and problem solver. Just by telling him my problem made me feel like I didn’t even have a problem anymore. He was there for me whenever I needed him. I did my best to always be there for him and help with anything he needed, which keeping up with him was no easy feat.
He dedicated his life to helping others and cherished each of the many organizations he was involved in.
He was an absolute natural and so talented in sales, business, customer service, and community service.
I grew up with my parents owning print shops and Bill in the Sheriff’s Posse. It was a fantastic childhood. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I was able to help out at Print Quick from a very young age, which included collating customer’s printing orders, mailing invoices and inventory. As I got older I worked retail, made copies, did typesetting, you name it. I learned to answer the phone on the first ring and greet every customer as soon as they walked in the door. At home we had horses, dogs, ducks and chickens, that I loved taking care of. At the time, I probably didn’t love getting up at 5 am feeding the animals in my big rubber boots in windy Rialto before school each day, but looking back at it now, I loved every second of it. The Sheriff’s Posse was and still is family. You couldn’t ask for more fun then growing up with this group! We were always all getting together whether it was work or play or just hanging out. We had huge backyard cookouts and parties. Also, many camping trips. Search and Rescue training was usually in the mountains and we would get to go camping. While they were off on the horses training, we had a great time back at camp. The posse is the best family to have.
Bill was even featured on NBC’s “4 Our Heros” segment and got network TV time, which he was very proud of, even getting an “As seen on TV” pin to wear.”
Bill suffered from peripheral artery disease which led to many surgeries. The peripheral arteries begin to narrow down in the outer regions of your body, including your legs, stomach, arms, and head, due to fatty deposits. This disease causes a great deal of pain, cramping, and tiredness in the legs especially when walking. This disease ultimately led to the loss of his right leg above the knee on November 5, 2002. Bill, always looking for a way to bring a smile to the face of those around him, called it his “Ampuversary.”
He closed his print shop and worked a short while for San Bernardino County in printing before medically retiring. Upon losing his leg, Bill joined an amputee support group. During this time in his life, Bill was inspired to do more and reach out to those who have faced the same loss as he had. The next 16 years he became a Certified Peer Visitor for amputees and served as President and Spokesman for Amputee Connections of Redlands.
This also involved being a member of various organizations, such as, The Amputee Coalition. This organization’s mission is to reach out to people and empower those affected by limb loss. They help them achieve their full potential by educating, supporting, advocacy, and promoting limb loss prevention. President and CEO of the Amputee Coalition, Jack Richmond, spoke highly of Bill. “Bill was one of the faces I always looked for on the first day of conference and it was always wearing a smile. Over the years “Wild Bill” took many pictures that he shared with the Amputee Coalition and that we treasure especially now. He was a leader, and was never afraid to speak his mind on issues of advocacy and peer support. Bill kept us all entertained with his wit and sense of humor. Bill will be sorely missed by his support group and the amputee community at large.”
Among the many organizations served by Nessel, were the Inland Empire Disabilities Collaborative, Loma Linda PossAbilities, Camp No Limits, and countless other groups all which support individuals with limb loss or deficiency.
Throughout the organizations Bill made friends everywhere. Cotie Williams, being one of the many people that Bill had befriended over the years, expressed her admiration for him, “Bill was a champion and forefather for the peer visiting movement for amputee patients in the Inland Empire. He dedicated his life to providing resources and support to newly injured amputees. Through encouragement and hope he built a community. His determination to change the perception of disability changed the lives of hundreds of families. He was a colorful hero, advocate, friend, and mentor to all that crossed his path. Bill left a legacy that will never be forgotten.”
His experiences in the sheriff’s department assisted him getting the Posse group involved in Camp No Limits, a camp for children with limb loss that assists them and their families with limb loss. They have created a network of support for their campers that offer programs with physical and occupational therapists and adult amputee role models.
Mary Leighton, who is a founder of the No Limits Foundation remembers how much dedication and support Bill put into their camp each year, “We are very saddened by the loss of our Camp No Limits family member Bill Nessel. He was a huge supporter of our mission and attended California camp each year. I know he would not want us to be sad… so we will be grateful to have had such a wonderful friend who had a positive impact on us all. He always had a smile, living life to the fullest, with the passion of dedicating his time to serving others. We love you Bill! I will miss his friendly greetings and his support. He worked hard to educate families in his area about Camp No Limits and made it his mission to help other fellow amputees.”
His inspiration led to the growth of the Amputee Connections family, made up of individuals that were inspired to create support groups in other areas, people who found new passions in sports they had not even tried before becoming an amputee, and those who went on to motivational speaking and helping others.
Luis Ovando, who is also a part of the Amputee Connections of Redlands family, describes how much of an impact Bill had on his life and the organization, “I met Bill when I was having bad thoughts living with an amputation; Bill and the organizations that he belonged to, Amputee Connections of Redlands (ACR), Amputee Coalition (AC) showed me that as an amputee, there is hope, and help, but most important, that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. After that, my life and way of thinking changed completely. I learned that helping Limb Loss community and others, will help me to heal my inner wounds and to live my life to the fullest. Thank You Bill for your inspiration and support, you’ll be forever missed and loved. Rest In Peace my Friend.”
Every acquaintance became a life friend to Bill and an opportunity to network and support others. His involvement working with influential people in the community led him to become a member of the Grand Terrace Lions Club. The Lions empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, and encourage peace and promote international understanding. All the qualities Nessel embodied.
Frank Tetley, who was a member of the GT Lions Club with Bill, remembered him and his contributions. Tetley expressed to City News Group, “Since Bill (aka Wild Bill) accepted my invitation to join the Lions Club, we are all better for it, both as a club and individually. He lived our motto of “We Serve.” He became the club’s photographer, and in the community at large. He was able to capture and share special beauty in his pictures. I read a great comment on Facebook about him: ‘He was a man of great character, who was himself a character.’ It was never about what was in it for him, but rather how he could help. His leadership of the nonprofit Amputee Connection group is a perfect example of this. He is now, and from now on, will be missed.”
Bill received the highest form of recognition that acknowledges a recipients dedication to humanitarian service, the Melvin Jones Fellow Award. This recognition embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism. It is considered more of an honor than it is an award. Bill received this for dedicated humanitarian services from Lions Clubs International Foundation. He was very proud to be a Lion and became the District photographer.
Bill loved capturing memorable moments by taking pictures. He photographed everything from family, nature, amputee events, and Lions Club activities. He loved to take pictures of flowers and share them on social media with a simple, “Morning” message to the community.
He was a photographer for Grand Terrace City News, and the City of Grand Terrace. His photos and reporting provided audiences with inspiring and everlasting photos of their communities and families. From photos of the local high schools events to capturing community members supporting one another, he truly had an eye for capturing the moments we are so quick to overlook. “Bill would always volunteer to cover any event that he could to promote the City of Grand Terrace,” according to City News Group.
One could often hear him saying, “Attitude is Everything” and “Exposure Creates Opportunity.” He not only expressed his belief with the right attitude and everyone working together, anything is possible, but also was a living testimony to it.
Wait, there is more …
Many knew Bill as “The Mustard Man.” In his youth, Bill spent his summers on a farm in Wisconsin with his aunt and uncle who made mustard. His brother Bud continued making the mustard and when Bill became an amputee he received the old family recipe and started making the mustard again. He would say of it, “The mustard has bite but it doesn’t leave teeth marks.” Mustard was always a strong conversation starter for him, and he had many stories of the mustard lovers he met.
While Bill dedicated much of his life to helping others, he also made sure to dedicate just as much time to his family. His grandson, Steven, recalls the great memories of his Grandpa, “I have many fond memories of him. At a very young age I remember grandpa showing me everything at the print shop our family owed. I ran around the entire shop wanting to learn it all, I even learned what every key went to that was on his big key ring. I think I thought I worked there. We often went to go shoot rockets together. I would get to launch the rocket while he counted down for me. We also went on many bike rides after he got his hand-cycle. I remember grandpa having a little mustard stand off to the side whenever we would have a yard sale. More recent memories I loved was simply sitting at the table sharing stories of difficult customers at work, calling him on his birthday, and going to lunch. I could always tell how much he loved me and was happy for me to be there. He was a man I am proud to have had as a grandfather. I love him and I will miss him very much.”
In the last two months of his life, Bill’s health declined. He was a tough and determined man and fought a strong fight but passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on January 1, 2019.
Although, he is no longer with us, his legacy will live on for ages in the hearts and souls of the people who knew him, loved him, worked side by side with him, and served with him through the years. He inspired numerous people with his unstoppable spirit and fierce dedication.
Bill is survived by his wife Jolene, son Keith and his wife Erin, daughter Gena, daughter Cheryl, brother Robert, grandchildren Steven, Jacob, McKenna, Misty, and Dawn.
A Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, Leader, and Friend will be greatly missed.
Memorial Service
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Mt. View Mortuary
570 East Highland Ave
San Bernardino, CA 92404
At 2:00 PM
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