Wilhelm Verl Tucker (Bill), 79, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2016, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Bill was born September 13, 1936 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bill moved to Mesa with his family when he was 5. He graduated from Mesa High School in 1954, where he excelled in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He spent 3 years in the Army stationed in Japan as a surveillance and code specialist. Once home he moved to Utah to attend school. There he met and married his wife Sherrie Sherman. The couple settled back in Mesa and had three children. Bill owned and operated Tucker Meats for 20+ years. Many locals can remember picking up their custom meat orders at Tucker Meats and being greeted with Bill’s friendly smile. Other successful business ventures included, Tucker Catering, and Bill’s Landscaping. He will be remembered by all as a kind, happy, gentle man who worked hard in all his endeavors and was a friend to all. He had a passion for watching and playing basketball. He enjoyed spending time with his family boating and water skiing.
Bill and Sherrie were married for 55 years until Sherrie passed away 2 years ago. Bill is survived by his children Tricia (Kyle Kempton), Todd (Lorie) and Susan (Scott Hironaka), 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren, one brother, Clyde Tucker, and his in-laws Deena and Jaron Norberg, Michele and Mike Lallatin, Tanya and Bert McMurtry, and their children. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to his caregivers at Emerald Grove Assisted Living for their years of caring and loving kindness to Bill. Visitation will be held on Friday, January 8 from 6:30-8pm at Bunker’s University Chapel, 3529 E. University Dr., Mesa, AZ 85213. Funeral services are 10am on Saturday, January 9 at the Citrus Heights Stake Center, 2549 N. 32nd Street in Mesa, AZ 85213 with visitation one hour prior.
dearest family, sending affectionate greetings and join in all the happy memories. we were neighbors, business associates in catering, and best friends for many years. he inspired many people as an honest man, faithful friend, and hard worker. my best wishes to all. bill cummins
We will miss our friend Bill. As a 10 year old, I remember a rare deer hunting trip that we actually got a deer. My Dad and I took the deer to Tucker Meats at Extension and Main Street. That is where I first meet Bill.
After getting out of school, Debbie and I moved into the Mesa 15th Ward with our 2 young kids Courtney and Wes around 1977. I had heard that some of young guys in the Ward would meet at 5:00 AM for pick-up basketball and that seemed like a good way for me to get back in shape. I showed up and Bill Tucker and Keith Standage were there. The teams seemed to get divided old guys vs. young guys. This is going to be too easy. The old guys, Bill and Keith, were skins and we were shirts. The rule was call your own fouls. First possession Standage hits a long jumper and I began to think we young guys are getting hustled. Next possession Standage passes to Tucker in the corner and I am not going to give him an uncontested shot so I run out to guard. Bill drives right over me with his shirtless, sweaty, hairy chest knocking me flat on the floor and makes a reverse lay-up. As I’m getting up Standage with a smirk asked if I want to call a foul. Of course I said no, I just slipped, but I thought; OK game on! We got killed by Tucker and Standage that morning and each and every morning. we finally protested and Tucker and Standage had to play on separate teams.
Debbie and I grew to love Bill and Sherrie and we would have never survived parenthood without Susan’s babysitting.
I have never known Bill Tucker and his beautiful wife Sherrie not to have a huge smile on their faces for everyone they meet. They were both great examples of true acceptance, love and friendship to all. Bill and Sherrie, Fred and I came to know each other well, and we admired them greatly.
There are many things that come to my mind when I think of Bill Tucker but the greatest of these is LOVE, for I know of only one other man who cared for his sweetheart as Bill had for his Sherrie, and that is my father-in-law Murray Woods. Anyone who knows Bill knows the love he had for Sherrie and the great care and service he gave to her.
They did anything and everything for their family, including spoiling their children rotten with a car for their 16th birthday. “Who does that?”, Bill and Sherrie Tucker.
Susan began dance early and was in various pageants, which Bill and Sherrie were always supportive of. Susan excelled in dance and Bill had wood dance floor with a mirror and ballet bar built just for Susan. It was in her bedroom.
Tricia their 1st born was the pride of her parents and had a voice that could sing with the birds. They helped her to foster that talent and today she still sings so beautifully. After that Fred and I married and moved into what was then Mesa 15th Ward (and old timers still refer to the old 15th Ward days). It had to have been one, if not the first Sunday we were there. This beautiful, blonde girl walked up to the podium to render a musical number. As I watched her make her way to the podium, I leaned over to Fred and said “She looks exactly like Deena Norberg.” The Norberg’s were dear friends of mine from Tempe 4th Ward. The program said her name was Tricia Tucker. She looked so much like Deena, that if it were not for the fact, that I knew Deena and Jaron had only 3 boys, of which I had babysat many a time, I would have sworn she was their daughter. I had to know who this girl was that was Deena’s double. So after the meeting I approached Tricia and complimented her on her singing. I then told her she was probably going to think I was crazy, but I had this friend in Tempe named, Deena Norberg, and she looked like she could be her daughter. Tricia promptly tells me that Deena is her Aunt. She is her mother Sherrie’s sister. Well there was the connection, the glue that would bind me to the Tucker family. From that day forward we forged a great friendship.
Now I was not a Mesa girl, I grew up in Tempe and to this day I consider myself a Tempe girl. After Fred and I married and moved into what was then Mesa 15th Ward. Susan the youngest of the Tucker’s, came into my Beehive class, She would beg and beg to let her babysit for us. She told me that no one ever calls her to babysit. At the time we had Courtney, Wes and Samantha (Sam) and rounding out with another little girl, Taylor.
Wes and Sammy were very particular with babysitters they were very particular as babies with people. There were very few they would go to, so leaving them with a babysitter was hard for me unless they were in bed asleep. AND then came Susan. I decided to give her a try (I was her Beehive teacher how could I break this girl’s heart). She was the one. In time there were a few others I could get away with, but Susan was first choice, she was magic. She could figure out how to play and please 3 girls and 1 boy where others could not. I remember telling Sherrie about coming home one night to every single puzzle in the house completed and lined up against the baseboards from family room through dining room and down the hall. Susan and Sammy developed a “special bond” and when Susan decided to go on a mission she made a special trip to come over and spent some quality time, the last few moments she had left with Sammy. Sammy was so broken hearted, she would not see Susan. She refused to come out of her room and so Susan went to her. Sammy was buried in her favorite Grandma Rosie sheep quilt and inconsolable. So Susan had no choice to leave saying her goodbye in that way.
The next morning Sammy got dressed and ready for school. With tears in her eyes she ask if I would take her to school and if I would take her by Susan’s house first.
I told Sammy that Susan had an early flight out and that was why she came by last night. I told her there was a good chance they were already on their way to the airport. Sammy told me she knew was not gone because she had prayed. As we got to Susan’s house the car was pulled out of the driveway and it was running. We got out of the car, knocked on the back door and Bill answered with a big smile saying, “You just made it. A minute more and we would be gone, but you know Susan she is perpetually late”. And so Sammy’s prayer was answered as I am sure Susan’s was too. Susan was thrilled to see Sammy and as Sammy ran to her, they embraced each other with tears in their eyes. Sammy said she was sorry for she behaved last night and Susan assured her it all worked out as it should have. What a sweet moment that was for us all to watch, Bill included.
Needless to say I could go on and on about Bill, Sherrie, their priceless and precious children who cared so loving and patiently with their parents through all Sherrie’s many struggles to Bill’s Alzheimer.
Todd who faithfully brought his father to Sacrament Meeting each Sunday. Never will I forget Bill walking in with his huge smile looking over to Fred and I (we sat right across the aisle from Todd and Lori) as if he knew who we were. Having had a Grandmother go through this myself, I know that Bill did not know our names or who we really were, but I can testify that those dear, dear, cherished family and friends he knew and loved, he did know you were someone special in his life. That each and everyone one of you were someone who knew him and that he had known and loved.
He will be missed for sure but what a glorious reunion he and Sherrie are having. For the great love that Bill had for his Sherrie anyone who knows Bill knows the care and service he gave to her.