Walter William Roper

Walter William “Bill” Roper, passed away February 21, 2025 from complications of dementia. 

Born March 31, 1945, to Evelyn & Allen Roper, he was the middle child of 7 children. His early years were spent working hard on the family farm, feeding livestock, milking cows, bailing hay & irrigating crops. These duties instilled in him the value of hard work which he carried with him his whole life. 

He attended American Falls high school and participated in many sports, including track, football and basketball and was elected student body president during his senior year. He attended the University of Idaho in Moscow where he ran track & played a season of spring football. He was a reporter for the college newspaper “The Argonaut”, and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. 

In 1969 he met Patricia Morgan. They were married in 1970 in Elko, Nevada. Together, they were a great team. Bill & Patricia were very devoted to one another & were true partners throughout their 54 years together. Their household was one of laughter and love. They valued the closeness of their family with frequent gatherings of the extended members. He loved snow & water skiing, and bowling. He devoured maps and delighted in driving through the wilderness of Idaho to discover something he read about. He simply wanted to take a picture of it for himself! He became a master craftsman, and with the watchful eye and help of his father-in-law, Vaughn Morgan, Bill built a home on Sunbeam Road. This project resulted in not only a house in which they lived for many years, but also a life-long love of carpentry. 

One of his favorite memories was the “Spook Alley” for Halloween. He eagerly volunteered, alongside his daughter Alison. The first was constructed in the original American Falls hospital. This was the same hospital in which he was born. The irony of that was not lost on him. 

Bill worked for 20 years at Power County Grain Growers as the co-op manager. He served on the Idaho State Grain Dealer Association Board. He served as chairman of American Falls school district board. In 2001, he & Patricia moved to Grangeville, ID as manager of Union Warehouse & Supply. He could always be counted on to show up, document the details and encourage people to take action. 

Bill was an enthusiastic adventurer & traveler. In the early 1990’s he was given the opportunity to travel to Russia, shortly after Glasnost. He was tasked with educating the Russian people about grain storage. He described it as the “trip of a lifetime.” He also enjoyed trips with his family to Mexico, Canada & Washington D.C. Always the journalist, he was armed with a camera. He loved photography of all things. Old barns, grain silos, construction projects, railroads (real and model) and monuments were some of his favorite subjects. He filled volumes of photo albums, preserving many memories.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia, son Jason, daughters Valorie & Alison, siblings Jackie Kildew, Patricia Spiker, Bonnie Anderson, Lance Roper, & Janelle Roper, grandchildren Ryne, Aidan, Vaughn & Finley.

Bill was a devoted spouse, a patient & loving father, and always appreciated a good laugh. Even though he struggled in his later years with the debilitating effects of dementia, he never lost his sense of humor. He was always curious about the world and how he could do his part to document and fix things that weren’t working correctly. Our hearts are now heavy, but our lives are blessed for having had him in it.