William F. “Bill” Gulley, a member of a pioneer Orange County family, passed away on March 28, 2014 at the ripe old age of 90. Beloved son of LaVerne and Thelma (Shearman/Summers) Gulley, he is survived his cherished wife of 65 years, Betty Genevieve (Reeves-Magill) Gulley, son Ward (Luisa) Gulley, daughter Barbara (Bruce) MacDougall, four beloved grandchildren, William (Bonnie Watson) Gulley, Matthew (Catherine Davila) Gulley, Melissa MacDougall, and Scott MacDougall, and nieces and nephews.

A longtime resident of Corona Del Mar, Bill was born in Placentia, California in 1923 during the Great Depression. He attended Santa Ana City schools through Santa Ana Junior College where as quarterback he led his football team to the national championship in 1942. He attended Stanford University on a football scholarship but WWII took him to the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena where he led his unit as battalion commander of the Naval V12 training program. He captained Cal Tech’s 1944 football team which was undefeated, untied and unscored upon. That team was later inducted into the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame in Rhode Island.

Upon graduating from Cal Tech with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, and after a short stint at Stanford University’s Master of Science Engineering program, he joined Rockwell Manufacturing Co. where he spent 17 years. He ultimately retired from Fluor Corporation as senior vice president in 1986.

His fondness for Orange County stayed with him until the end, and he would daily reminisce about the wonderful experiences he had growing up in the area, playing in the orange groves, working the lima bean fields as a teenager, hitchhiking to the beach to bodysurf, hunting and fishing, and playing sports. Daily he expressed his gratitude for the many blessings he enjoyed during his life, mostly for his dear parents, and the special people that touched and guided his life. Later in years, his life became enriched when he returned to the church of his youth and joined the congregation at Harbor Christian Church where he spent many Sundays.
An avid fisherman and hunter, Bill built a vacation home in the Eastern Sierras which he enjoyed with his family for many years. His family anticipates spending many more pleasurable summers at the site recalling his wonderful legacy.

The memorial will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, April 14 at the Harbor Christian Church, 2401 Irvine Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660.