Obituary for William Deerfield

William (Bill) Deerfield, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died Feb. 5, 2013 at the Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joyce; daughter, Karen (Troy) Brimhall; and son, William (Bill).
He was preceded in death by his parents, Nellie and Millard Deerfield; and a son, Larry Bruce Deerfield.
Mr. Deerfield served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries he received in a kamikaze attack on his ship in the battle of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.
Following his discharge in 1947, he worked at several jobs before accepting employment in “food sales” rising to vice president of sales before retiring.
He enjoyed gardening and in 1974 decided he would like an apple orchard and purchased 15 acres and 2,000 trees planted in Squaw Valley, Calif. It was an adventure as he and wife Joyce (who thought apples grew in the back room of stores) had to learn how to raise apples from scratch.
Sometimes that’s not a bad way to be successful as with the help of friends already in the business and the Department of Agriculture, the apples were sold to major markets as well as those locally owned.
When his health began to fail, he and Joyce sold the orchard and decided to travel the United States. After three years of traveling many areas of this beautiful country, the couple started searching for a permanent place to live. At the suggestion of a friend, they drove to Payson, bought a home, and have never regretted the decision.
Arrangements are currently being made for a memorial service that will be held at the Payson American Legion Hall on Highway 260. Date and time will be announced in the paper. Burial will be at the Riverside, Calif. National Cemetery.
Donations in Mr. Deerfield’s name may be made to Hospice of the Valley in Mesa.