William David Plumley, Jr.

June 7, 2011 12 AM PT

On June 1, 2011, just a few weeks short of his 87th birthday, Bill Plumley peacefully succumbed to heart disease. Bill was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa on June 22, 1924. During the Depression, his family moved to Los Angeles where Bill graduated from Fremont High School in 1942. From high school, Bill enlisted in the Navy, serving in the Atlantic during World War II aboard the destroyer escorts USS Gustafson and USS Edmund G. Chase. After his military service, Bill took a position as a meter reader at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and received a series of promotions, eventually rising to become the Director of the Commercial Division. At DWP, he also met his future bride Mary Ann Sorrentino. Bill and Mary Ann settled down in Glendale to raise their children Michael, Cheryl, Donald and David.

In 1979, Bill took an early retirement from his 30-year career at DWP, starting a new career in real estate. As a real estate agent active in Glendale, Bill’s peers recognized his strong leadership skills and selected Bill to serve as the Executive Director of the Glendale Association of Realtors, a position he held for ten years. He was active in the community throughout his life, and was a 32-year member of the Northwest Glendale Lions Club.

While Bill’s body continued to weaken from heart disease over the years, his perseverance and friendly disposition inspired all those fortunate enough to know him. Bill was predeceased by his daughter Cheryl Dufour and his sister Betty Chant, and is survived by his wife Mary Ann, his sons Michael, Donald (and wife Rose,) and David (and wife Donna,) his seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and his sister Lorraine Lively. Bill’s family extends a special thanks to the doctors, nurses, and other caregivers, who through years of dedicated professional care, helped keep Bill with us far longer than we might have thought possible. We will celebrate Bill’s life at a Funeral Mass at Holy Family Church in Glendale on Friday, June 10, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. followed by burial at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills(6300 Forest Lawn Drive., L.A., 90068). In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Bill’s name to the Community Foundation of the Verdugos, 330 Arden Ave., Suite 130, Glendale, CA 91203. Friends and family can share their memories and sign the on line guest book at www.CallananCares.com.

Callanan & Woods Scovern Mortuary

818/242-0258