Bill van der Gracht

Bill van der Gracht passed away on January 22, 2021 at the age of 92.  He retained his sense of humor and his gentle (and often sly) smile to the end.  Bill is survived by his wonderful wife, Celeste, whom he met while working as a geophysical engineer in Brazil.  He was a proud and loving father to Paulina (deceased) and Joseph. He was grandfather to Patrick, Melinda, and Dylan Ley (children of Paulina and Joe Ley) and  Kirstin, Dana and Dawn van der Gracht (children of Joe and Terri) - all of whom lovingly called him 'Beautiful', a playful nickname that he encouraged and laughed about each time he heard it.  

Bill was born and raised in Canada, growing up mostly in the beautiful British Columbia area along with his brothers and sisters Lewis, John and Missy who have all preceded him in death.  He often spoke fondly of his childhood. After completing his studies at the university he began a 40 plus year career at Geophysical Services, Inc. that led him to a variety of international locations including Venezuela, Brazil, Libya, China, Australia, Singapore, England and Canada.  He finished his career with a long stay in Dallas, Texas where he received many awards for his hard work and for innovations in his field.

While these career accomplishments are impressive, Bill's greatest legacy is his great love for others. As a devoted husband and father, he encouraged the family in their faith journeys. His own dedication to Jesus Christ grew out of his deep commitment to his Catholic Christian faith.  He encouraged his children in all of their interests and spent countless hours playing with them. He taught them to respect and to encourage everyone they encountered by his own example. 

After retiring to Kingsport, Tennessee he was involved in many forms of community service.  He helped teach new astronomers as part of the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club.  He also taught reading through his work with the Literacy Council of Kingsport.  He was active in the local chapter of the Saint Vincent DePaul Society  that distributes funds to those struggling to pay their bills. As part of his society duties, he often drove out to meet folks and listened to their stories and brought them supplies and funds. Bill and Celeste also volunteered side by side for the Kitchen of Hope.  He received an award from the Rotary Club of Kingsport for his service to the community and his lifetime achievements.

His sense of humor, dedication and warmth will not be forgotten. Bill will be greatly missed by all those who knew him.

Due to the pandemic, a private funeral mass will be held at Saint Dominic's Catholic Church on Wednesday, January 27 at 11 a.m. While the mass is private, the livestream is available at the following link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcEmORQkQMk&feature=youtu.be

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Saint Jude Children's Hospital or the charity of your choice.