William Wayne Stice, age 83, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2021. He had been a resident of Colorado Springs since 1978 upon his retirement from the United States Air Force.
Bill was born on May 29, 1937 in Oswego, Kansas to Ralph Stice and Leona (McKnight) Stice. He attended Oswego High School and enlisted in the US Air Force upon graduation. He would spend the next 23 years serving his country, moving his family wherever the military sent him, to such diverse locations such as Florida, Texas, California, Japan, Germany, and Greenland.
During one of his two tours in Japan, he met and married the love of his life, Akiko Omori. They married on December 29, 1958 in Fukuoka, Japan.
After his retirement from the Air Force in 1978, Bill began a second career at Penrose Hospital, Colorado Springs, where worked in Patient Accounts until his retirement in 2004.
In his earlier years, he was an avid fisherman, a hobby he acquired from his father and later shared with his children. He was also a history buff and enjoyed talking about his travels to war memorials in Europe and Japan. More recently, Bill enjoyed following his favorite sports teams on TV, particularly the KU Jayhawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Denver Broncos. He also cherished time spent with his grandchildren and his dog Kuma.
Bill is survived by his wife, Akiko; two daughters, Suzanne Reinhart (Warren McDonald) and Elizabeth Lancaster (Bill) of Colorado Springs; son Wayne Stice (Wendy) of Colorado Springs; a sister, Wilma Allison, Altamont, KS; two brothers, Larry Stice, Carl Junction, MO, and Norman Stice, Parsons, KS; and five grandchildren: Kirsten and Nikolas Lancaster, and Anthony, Riley, and Logan Stice.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Bonnie Jean Hurst, two brothers, Ralph (Bud) Stice Jr, and Lyle Stice, and his son-in-law Daniel Reinhart.
Private family services will be held on May 14 at Pikes Peak National Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made in Bill’s name to Wounded Warrior Project or the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.