An old friend used to say, “If you ask Billy Periard what time it is, he’ll tell you how to build a watch.”
William “Bill/Billy” Periard was born on January 17, 1955, and his earthly life ended suddenly on March 28, 2024, at his residence in Cedar, Michigan.
He was the smartest person in the room and generously shared his knowledge and wisdom.
One of ten Periard brothers and sisters growing up in Burt, Michigan, Bill graduated from Birch Run High School in 1973. He went on to study at Michigan State University (class of 1983) and the University of Alaska Southeast (2009 2010).
Bill lived adventurously, traveling extensively throughout the US, Europe, and India. He called many places home including Alaska, Ireland, and a cave in Greece for three months.
He embodied being a lifelong learner and soaked up knowledge and new experiences. His fascinating job history illustrates this with professional titles that include family farm hand in Burt, MI, MSU computer lab assistant in Lansing, MI, oil field expediter/ roustabout in Kuparuk, Alaska, rock music band associate manager in San Fransisco, CA, database designer and debugger in Detroit, MI, retail clerk in Traverse City, MI, substitute teacher in Suttons Bay, MI, and “dispenser of vices, essentials and conversation” at the MC Shortstop in Maple City, MI.
During his travels, Bill—affectionately referred to as “our World Traveler Vagabond”—became roommates with many of his siblings at various locations across the world, where they both enjoyed their time together and drove each other crazy.
He loved studying philosophy, and ancient history, specifically the Roman Empire and the ancient Greeks. He also loved sciences of all sorts, particularly astronomy, geology, chemistry, physics, archeology, paleontology, and science fiction.
“Uncle Billy” was a favorite babysitter of his nieces and nephews on the family farms and introduced them to gems like Mystery Science Theater 3000, Star Trek, and retro B-movies on the 90’s-era Sci-Fi Channel. There was frequent tree identification and plant exploration around the farm, lessons in animal science, history, and music, sorting treasures from his worldly travels, and once, a rare solar eclipse experience together on a sick day home from school. He would join his family at the Periard Deer Camp near Mio, MI each winter but was not a hunter. Bill would instead explore and enjoy the deep woods, birdwatching and building bird-feeding setups, once enchanting his nieces and nephews by welcoming chickadees to land on his gloved hands for a birdseed snack.
Bill’s love of animals shined brightest through his 28-year companionship with his African grey parrot, Hal.
His kindness and generosity will live on in the hearts of his MC Shortstop coworkers and customers. He helped many find their way home with his resources at the store. During COVID, he worked hard and created solutions so the people he served and cared for could feel safe. He often covered shifts so coworkers who are parents could be flexible for their kids’ activities. He was known to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone. If you needed directions, he’d show you. If you locked your keys in your car, he had an old coat hanger wire ready in the back. If your battery was dead, he’d give you a jumpstart. If you needed extra money, he’d give you his. If you had your dog with you, he supplied the store with an assortment of treats just for the four-legged customers. And if you were purchasing items like lottery tickets or cigarettes, he might have some feedback for you about your return on investment (or lack thereof).
He was skilled at sharing information that you didn’t necessarily ask for, but that you often needed to hear.
Bill was a friend to many, even those who otherwise didn’t have many friends. He was often praised as being a person you could talk with about anything, have honest conversations with, who didn’t take offense, and who approached things with an open mind.
He was a dreamer, a master storyteller, a skilled conversationalist, an engaged listener, an adventure seeker, a wise educator, a treasure collector, a keeper of cherished history.
Bill was proud to live life on his own terms. He bravely fought battles, some openly and some quietly. With all the help he gave others, he rarely asked for help. He cared for others even when he found it difficult to care for himself.
One of his last weekends was spent at a birthday party with family, tacos, cake and pie, and, as always, enlightening conversation. He played outside and pushed his great niece and nephews on the swings. We hope he knew how loved he was. Bill was preceded in death by his parents William “Bill” and Dorothy “Dot” (Luha) Periard, infant twin brothers Johnny and Joey, brother Ed, sister-in-law Heidii, and nephew Brett.
Left to cherish his memory are his sisterin- law Luanne, brother Tim (Karen), sister Amy (Rick), brother Hugh (Wende), brother Doug (Annemarie), brother Phil, sister Misty, 11 nieces and nephews, 15 great nieces and nephews, dear friends Mark Daniels and Rebecca Baron, and 2 beloved cats.
He was guided by the teachings of Buddha and we’ll carry one of his favorite quotes in our hearts: “Be lamps unto yourselves; work out your salvation with diligence.”
Bill will return to the original family farm and one of his favorite trees, the white oak, will be planted in his honor. A celebration of his life will be held at the farm later this year. In lieu of flowers or donations, please consider supporting your local animal rescue and taking a walk in the woods among the trees in Bill’s memory.
