William "Bill" Wimmer

William Oliver Wimmer, age 88 of Oakdale, died July 20th, 2014 at UT Medical Center in Knoxville. He is preceded in death by his Wife, Nancy Carolyn Wimmer, and granddaughter, Mary Lee Rodgers. Survivors are: Children; William Kendall Wimmer of Oakdale, Paula Rodgers and husband Mark of Cookeville, Robert Peyton Wimmer and wife Karen of Austin, TX, Edward Garris Wimmer of Nashville, Charles Alexander Wimmer of Maryville, Grandchildren; Seanne and Alex Rodgers, Oliver Milo, Lucy and Wendy Wimmer and Madeline and Jacob Wimmer. Bill, or Doc as he was known, was born in Roanoke VA, to Mary and Paul Wimmer in 1925. At birth the doctor asked, “and what is this baby to be called?” Mary said, “William Oliver Wimmer” to which the Doctor remarked… WOW. It could not have been said better. He was a true one of a kind, quick of wit, eternally loyal as a friend, and loved to ponder the imponderable. Born an imperfect perfectionist, as he would say, he spent his life trying to get it right and learning to accept the results. His perfectionist streak led him on a road of adventure and left him with a strong sense of family and community, knowing it truly takes all of us to ‘get it right.’ At 17 Bill thought it better to join the war effort than continue the battle of High School and left shortly before graduation. He joined the Navy and served as a torpedoman’s mate in the submarine corp aboard the USS Haddo I (ss-255) until the war’s end in 1945. He loved the submarine service for its small, tightly held community and maintained the friendships he forged there for the rest of his life. He also continued to have a love of the sea and sailboats. After leaving the service he attended ETSU and the University of Wyoming, working his way through by drawing blood at the nearby hospital where he lived. Upon graduation at UW he returned to Kingsport as a junior chemist for Eastman Kodak; a career that convinced him of two things: 1. he should marry the beautiful young journalist he had recently met and 2. he should go back to school. He did both. Bill and Nancy moved to Memphis where he entered dental school. After graduating in 1954, he went home to Kingsport, and after a few years there he chose Harriman as the place to set up his practice. And the next chapter began. Moving to Harriman in 1957 with wife and 3 (to be 5) small children he quickly found his place in the community. He became known as the ‘singing orthodontist’ and provided care to many who would otherwise not be able to afford it with his flexible barter, trade, or long, long term payment plan. Once a lady from Nashville, bringing her son in for an initial visit, said, “I hear you are that cheap orthodontist!” He replied, “I prefer to think of it as inexpensive.” He then promptly referred her to a dentist in Nashville, as his gifts of time and talent were for his community. Bill joined the Lions Club as soon as he got to Harriman in 1957. He was soon elected to the office of ‘Tail Twister,’ the office in charge of harassing, stirring up camaraderie, keeping people proactive and having fun at the meetings. He was re-elected every year. He was also a Melvin Jones Fellow, a recipient of the Lions Club International award for service to community, and Chairman of the Harriman Lions Club Eye Screening Program in conjunction with Vanderbilt University. He loved the program and the impact it had on so many people’s lives. He also flipped pancakes and cut watermelons for fundraising events. Like so many other things in his life the Lions Club was a lifelong commitment with lifelong friends. In addition, he was a Band Aide Popcorn Admiral for the local High School band and manned the concession stand till his arms were covered in cotton candy. Helping to bring forth and maintain the Roane Choral Society, Bill’s dedication also showed in his work with Roane Co Park and later the Riverfront Park. He planted and maintained gardens with his wife Nancy at Riverfront. He grew potatoes for the church food pantry and served on numerous church boards and classrooms through the years (and would like to leave us with the thought: if your church is carrying debt… you need to take tithing a little more seriously). Bill liked to people watch, knowing that he was giving as good a show as he was getting. In 1963 he hauled the family out to South Dakota to pick up a starter herd of Scottish Highland cattle. They had long hair and huge horns, another part of the show and instrumental to his passion of farming. He and Nancy raised organic vegetables and lean beef long before it was cool. He considered his orthodontics to be part work and part community service eventually longed to be out of the office and on the farm. In 1980 he retired from dental practice to do that and continued to farm up to his final days. After all the adventures, raising his family, community action and his farm, Bill found his true calling in life: to be the worlds best Grandfather. And he was. His love for and pride in his grandchildren was as obvious as the twinkle in his eye. He never missed a birthday or special occasion. He ‘got it right.’ With Bill Wimmer you knew where you stood and where he stood. He had great capacity for diversity and differences. He supported the rights and needs of a diverse community and respected opinions whether or not he personally agreed with them, giving himself room for debate, his favorite pastime. His most defining characteristic however was humor. He was just funny. Everyone he has ever met has a Bill Wimmer story. In his honor, the family asks that you share those stories with people you love and strangers you meet. Humor enabled him to help those in need, give to his community, truly be with his friends and family, to never meet a stranger and generally make the world a better place than when he got here. It is a legacy that we can all afford to donate generously. For cash donations, the family asks that you support the Kingston United Methodist Church building and general funds. At least until the tithing catches up. From Kingsport, TN to points all around the world and then to the Oakdale and Roane county area, Bill has enjoyed the world with curiosity and intensity. He has had tremendous impact on many, many lives. His was a life well lived. As that Doctor 88 years ago exclaimed looking to a child’s future, today we all look at the life Bill Wimmer lived and collectively say… WOW! The family will receive friends from 12 noon to 2:15 PM Sunday at Kingston United Methodist Church. Funeral 2:30 PM Sunday at Kingston United Methodist Church.

William "Bill" Wimmer

October 28, 1925 - July 20, 2014