William "Bill" Haynes

William "Bill" Haynes was born on July 24, 1938, in Neodesha, KS, to Ted Haynes and Lilah Griffith. His family later moved to Caney, KS where he enjoyed a wonderful upbringing filled with adventure and camaraderie.

Before the era of TV, smart phones, or AI, children found creative ways to entertain themselves. Bill and some of his friends built a “den” in a room next to the family’s garage, constructing bunks and a poker room. They spent their days hunting, fishing, trapping, playing poker, and sharing stories. Their hunting and trapping trophies were proudly displayed in “The Den.” He enjoyed outdoor activities with many of his long-time friends, swimming in the river, camping and encountering mishaps like sleeping bags catching fire, all while making lasting memories together.

Bill played sports—football even though he was over 6 feet tall, weighed around 145 pounds and had sharp bones. One of his friends said he wore protective head equipment so he wouldn’t feel the pain when Bill tackled him. He got into trouble often because he laughed at someone’s misfortune—not at the person but the situation.

To earn money for college, Bill worked a variety of jobs. These included working on Carter’s ranch, aspiring to be a cowboy, mining in a molybdenum mine located in Climax, Colorado, logging in the Northwest, shoveling peas for freezing, managing a restaurant in Manhattan, KS and even laying dynamite across the Snake River to create a pipeline ditch.

Bill graduated from Coffeyville Junior College as well as Kansas State University in 1962 with a degree in Business Administration. During his time at KSU, He met Pat Webber, whom he married in the same year. Their marriage lasted 63+ years with much laughter and enjoying time spent with friends from the Caney area.

In 1970. Bill and Pat moved to Salinas, CA. He became the Western Regional Sales Manager for Ashworth Bros., Inc., maker of industrial products for manufacturing facilities. He was a long-time member of the American Legion, Salinas Elks and enjoyed playing golf and socializing with other golfers at the Salinas Golf & Country Club.

Bill was known for his sociability, sharing information, stories and jokes with everyone he met. He never met a stranger, often reconnecting with people from his past or engaging those interested in his activities. His nursing home caregivers remarked on how much they enjoyed his storytelling and the joy he brought them and the other residents.

He valued honesty and disliked those who pretended to know everything or lacked integrity. Bill was unpretentious, deeply cared about his friends and family, avid reader who continually expanded his knowledge, problem solver, creative writer, artist and musician, inventiveness including patenting his ideas.

Bill passed away peacefully on October 26, 2025. Bill was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Pat, sisters Mary Weinberg (Jeff,) and Kathy Harrison (Jon.) Nieces Elizabeth Gualtieri (Jack), Jennifer Weinberg, Heather Harrison & Holly Harper; nephew, Tim Hefty (Elise), Hayden Harrison, and nieces, Ellen Hefty, Lisa Long Buchmann (Marc), as well as several favorite cousins.

Bill passed away peacefully on October 26, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be held on April 21, 2026 at the Sunnyside Cemetery in Caney, Kansas, at 11:00 a.m. Immediately following the graveside service there will be a reception and lunch at the Sandstone Event Center in Caney, Kansas. All are welcome.