William Alan "Bill" McBride passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning, June 19th 2016. The proud father of three sons, it was fitting that Bill departed on Father's Day.
Bill was born on Feb. 22, 1939, was raised, raised his own family, grew old with his best friends, and finally passed away in the only city that he ever called home: Butte, Montana.
Bill was the only son of Bill and Edith "Sammy" McBride. He grew up on Howard Avenue, and attended St. Ann's Grade School and Boys Central High School, graduating in 1957. Following high school, Bill enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve, where he served for 10 years. Those 10 years had a profound impact on him; those that know him well and even those that barely know him at all would swear that he was a 30-year veteran of the Corps.
Bill was a 'typical Butte guy,' and there is no greater compliment than to refer to a man as a 'typical Butte guy'. He worked hard his entire life, played hard, faithfully rooted for his teams, was fiercely loyal to his family, his friends, and his town, and rarely missed a Mass at Holy Spirit on Saturday afternoon.
Following his Reserve time in the Marine Corps, Bill initially worked at the Front Street Safeway before hiring on at the State of Montana Department of Highways. Over the next several years, he and his crew painted thousands of miles of stripes on the highways across western Montana in the summer, and plowed those same highways in the winter... and in the fall ... and in the spring ... and on a couple of occasions in the summer. Bill eventually moved on to Pittsburg Plate Glass, and then worked for the Butte School District where he drove many of you to and from school. No doubt many of you are still traumatized by those bus rides, as Bill enjoyed messing with the kids, looking you in the eye when he spoke to you (even while driving down Harrison Avenue!), as well as ensuring the highest levels of discipline were enforced on his bus. Finally, he moved on to the job that he is most well-known for across Butte: a bus driver for the Butte Transit System. "Bus Driver Bill" negotiated the mean streets of Butte for many years, regaling his passengers with stories of his youth, his sons' exploits, and Butte Central and Montana Tech athletic events. Bill loved to tell stories, and you could be sure that there was a kernel of truth in each of his stories. The challenge, of course, was trying to figure out which parts of his stories had that kernel of truth. He also held a THIRD bus driving job, volunteering to drive tourists to and from Our Lady of the Rockies for the past several years, where he gleefully edged dozens of white-knuckled tourists inches from the brink of death as he skillfully maneuvered the large bus around the very narrow curves of the East Ridge. In this role, he essentially came full circle, as years ago he helped build the foundation of the chapel/observatory sitting adjacent to Our Lady of the Rockies overlooking Butte today.
Despite working very, very hard his entire adult life, Bill always found time to give back to his community. At both St. Ann's and Holy Spirit parishes, he was actively involved serving as an usher, a lector, the money counter, and even for a brief time years ago as the cantor, and he had a remarkably good singing voice on full display in church services, honed during his tenure as a member of the Boys Central Choir. For more years than probably anyone can remember, Bill served as a spotter at Butte Central football games, and as the official scorer for countless high school basketball games. His presence will be missed this winter court-side at the Maroon Activities Center and Butte Civic Center.
Bill was intensely proud to be one of the original founding members of the Southwest Chapter of the Marine Corps League, where he served in several leadership positions and was an active member right up until his final day. It was a rare day when you saw Bill not wearing some form of Marine Corps paraphernalia! Bill was also quite proud of his Irish heritage, and was a long-time member of Butte's Ancient Order of Hibernians, who he often joined in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Bill was the classic weekend athlete, playing softball and pick-up basketball, and bowling for as long as his body would allow. Up until just recently he could be found out in his driveway, working on his famous, but unorthodox jump shot and his sky hook.
In addition to his family, his friends, and his sports teams, Bill's passions included his yard and his vehicle (which he bought new every two years ... just like he complained about his dad doing). He took great pleasure and pride in his lawn -- the fertilization and watering which he had perfected over the past 40 years -- and his hedge, which if not trimmed weekly would overgrow the entire block. His vehicles, typically a Dodge pickup or jeep (although, regrettably, he once owned an AMC Pacer!) which were always spotless, adorned with more lights than a Vegas casino, and plastered with Marine Corps propaganda were recognized all around town, and at night from several blocks away.
Bill lived a good, blue-collar, 'Butte Guy' life. A life that he chose. He worked, he played, he hunted, he fished, he made life-long friends, and he raised three sons of whom he was immensely proud. Bill is survived by his sons: Jon, who lives in Butte; Sean, who currently lives in Germany; and Jim, who currently lives in California. Bill is also survived by four grandchildren -- Krista, Delaney, Connor, and Orin -- two step-grandchildren -- Dameon and Bearick -- and one great-grandchild, Gyuanna.
Please join Bill's family and friends at a memorial service at Holy Spirit Church on Saturday, July 9th, with the viewing at 10 a.m., followed by the service at 11. Although Bill loved his yard and the quaking aspen on the East Ridge, he was a bit indifferent towards flowers, except for those adjacent to the promenade at the Colombia Gardens. So, in lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a contribution on Bill's behalf can honor him by donating to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Marine Corps League, or Our Lady of the Rockies.