William Grant Berney

William Grant Berney, the eldest child of William E. Berney and Dorothy Smith Berney, was born June 17, 1927 in Walla Walla, Washington. Bill graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1944 and then from Whitman College in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He went on to seminary at Garrett Theological Seminary, in Evanston, Illinois, and received his Bachelor of Divinity degree three years later, in absentia, because he was in the Spokane Valley marrying his college sweetheart, Virginia Wilkes. The newly married couple spent the summer in Independence, Iowa, where Bill did chaplaincy training in the Iowa Mental Health Hospital, and then went on to New Haven, Connecticut, where Bill pursued graduate work at Yale Divinity School, completing his Sacred Theology Master’s degree in the spring of 1952. The couple then returned to the Northwest, to Moses Lake, Washington, where Bill had been appointed to establish a new Methodist Church. The region was booming due to the Columbia Basin Project’s bringing irrigation water into the area. Over the five years spent in Moses Lake, the new church grew to 200 members. Daughters Gail and Ann were born during those years. In 1957, Bill was then appointed to pastor the Methodist Churches in Grangeville and White Bird, Idaho. Daughters Joyce and Celia were born there. After four years, in 1961, Bill was appointed to Bethany Methodist Church in Tacoma, Washington. While there, the Berneys adopted a baby son, John. Three years later, in 1964, Bill was appointed to serve the Methodist Church in Pullman, Washington. There he appreciated his contact with questioning university students, as well as discussions around the social challenges of the times. Ten and a half years later, in 1974, Bill was assigned to the United Methodist Church in Renton, Washington. A feeding program was initiated, and the Crop Walk was introduced to the Renton area. After ten and a half years in Renton, Bill served a short stint at the Wenatchee United Methodist Church and then moved on to Garden Street United Methodist in Bellingham, Washington, where he finished out his 40 years of full-time ministry. In retirement, Bill with Virginia moved to Walla Walla in 1992, to live in the home in which he’d grown up, that they had purchased from Bill’s mother. Bill led Adult Education classes in the community, the State Penitentiary, and at several area churches. He played flute in the community band and volunteered for Hospice and Meals-on-Wheels. Bill and Virginia were avid travelers. When their children were young, they camped in many state and national parks. Later they did a lot of international travel, some church-related, to India, Africa, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Japan, and China. In 2007, Bill had a stroke caused by an infected heart valve. This sadly took his gift of language away, yet he carried on with keen observance, and interest in what people were saying and feeling. Deep concern and unconditional love continued to show through. Thankfully, during family Christmas carol and hymn sings, he was still able to provide the resonant bass harmony he had added to choirs all through his career. In August, 2010, Bill and Virginia moved to Panorama in Lacey, Washington, to be nearer to family. In spite of Bill’s declining health, Virginia made an effort to have him included in activities and events. Wise, humble, gentle lion for peace and justice… Kind, open-hearted, generous and full of integrity… Beloved father and husband, Bill Berney. William Berney passed away January 31, 2017. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Virginia; sister, Barbara McCornack of Fort Collins, Colorado; brother, Robert Berney of Grasonville, Maryland; five children, Gail Schmunk (Peter) of Spartanburg, South Carolina, Ann Berney (Jane Appling) of Seattle, Joyce Berney (Scott Corbett) of Portland, Oregon, Celia Nightingale (David) of Olympia, John Berney of Lovelock Nevada; and 10 grandchildren, Stephen and Hannah Schmunk, Paulo Berney, Colin, Rebecca and Evan Corbett, Reed and Joel Nightingale, and Tabytha and Jevyn Berney. Please leave memories of Bill or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.