William Bruce “Bill” Danner of Umatilla passed away on Sept. 13, 2021 at the age of 94.
Bill was born on March 6, 1927 in Sico, Ky. to Otis William and Lake Elizabeth Salyer Danner.
After graduating from high school in Knoxville, Tenn., Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17. He was a pharmacist’s mate third class on the USS Randolph and was honorably discharged in 1945. He then attended the University of Tennessee, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. Bill then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for the Korean conflict, was discharged early for medical school and graduated from the University of Tennessee as a MD.
In 1956, Bill interned at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Norfolk, Va. and in 1957 went to work for public health and was assigned to Harlan, Mont. After a year, he left to start a private practice in Sidney, Mont. and eventually moved to Albany.
In 1964, Bill ran the emergency rooms in Albany and Salem. He later left western Oregon and while stopping for gas in Umatilla and talking to the station owner, he learned they needed a doctor in Umatilla, so he stayed. He had a family practice from 1973 until he retired in 1996.
For the next six years, he worked for Indian health doing locum tenens work (filling in for doctors wherever they needed him for two to four weeks at a time). He was flown in by helicopter to the bottom of the Grand Canyon twice; went to the Colville Indian Reservation; Winnemucca, Nev.; Neah Bay, Wash.; and Fort Hall, Idaho. Bill also did two four-month sessions in Saudi Arabia for Lockheed Martin.
After retiring again, he planted a small vineyard on his little farm in Umatilla, where he raised eight varieties of wine grapes and made wine.
Bill is survived by his wife, Esther “Lonnie” at the home; daughters, Cathy (Ron) Dimmerman of Lakewood, Wash. and Teresa Baker of Walla Walla, Wash.; sons, Bruce (Becky) Danner of Kirkland, Wash., Brian (Barbara) Danner of Lebanon and Jeff Danner of Tekoa, Wash.; sister, Janet Lydecker of Maryville, Tenn.; brother, Robert (June) Danner of Florence, N.C.; stepchildren, Fran (Ken) Horn of Manson, Wash. and Dr. Pat Sharkey of Walla Walla, Wash.; 16 grandchildren; and 29 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Burns Dugger; brother, Lewis Harvey Danner; and stepson, Philip Sharkey.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 665 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
Memorial contributions can be made to the charity of your choice through Burns Mortuary, P.O. Box 289, Hermiston, Ore., 97838.
Please share memories of Bill with his family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
