A private memorial service for William Anthony Venable, 79, of Chickasha, will be held at a later date.

William Anthony Venable, known as Bill, was born March 3, 1947, in Chickasha, Oklahoma, as an only child to Lawerence Claud Venable and Hilda Bess (Brand) Venable. He passed unexpectedly from this life on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at his home in Chickasha, Oklahoma.

Bill grew up and attended St. Joseph Academy in Chickasha and then was the very last graduate from Friend School. He attended Southwestern University in Weatherford before enlisting in the United States Air Force.

On January 20, 1968, he married the love of his life, Sharon Kaye Gross, and they shared 58 years of together.

They lived in Denver, Colorado during his military service and also spent three years in Florida. When they returned to Chickasha, Bill worked for Maremont as a maintenance supervisor. Over the years he also worked for Dana Automotive in Oklahoma City, Delta Faucet, and various other places with his last employment being with LSBI until 2020, when he retired.

As a young man, Bill enjoyed quail and pheasant hunting. He loved to fix things and kept their home well cared for. When his daughter, Jennifer, was young, he coached her soccer team and helped with her Girl Scout troop. When his granddaughter, Heather, was young, he never missed one of her power tumbling meets. He had a passion for working with the Antique Car Club and loved the Rock Island Depot, which held some memories from his childhood. He was a quiet person that would help anyone who asked. He and Sharon babysat their great-granddaughters from the time they were babies and he loved them deeply and took great joy in having them around.

He was preceded in death by both parents.

Loved ones left to cherish his memory are his wife, Sharon, of the home; daughter Jennifer Venable; granddaughter Heather Wasser and her husband Erik; great-granddaughters McKenna, Lynnon, and Emma; and other extended family and friends.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Ferguson Funeral Home.