Tributes

Bill Dettman, the most generous, caring man, quietly passed away on August 25, 2016 after a three month battle with cancer. Bill always greeted everyone he met with a smile and he was quick with his own style of jokes, cracking up restaurant staff, especially when they'd ask if he had reservations. He would reply, "Yes, but we came anyway". In the hospital when the doctors would ask him how he was feeling, he would reply, "With my hands". He never complained, never asked why. He always had said that God has a plan for each of us and it seems that he accepted that. Bill was an avid golfer and a great chess player. He had an ongoing 45-year match with his best friend in Vancouver, Frank Hook. Anyone who knew Bill knew his love of cars, RV's, boats, planes, trains and any kind of technology. He would research anything and everything and always negotiated the best deals and believed in having the best not only for himself, but for those around him. He also loved Hawaii where he had a home on the Big island for several years. He lived in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach prior to relocating to La Quinta in the early 2000's. Bill was born in Chicago but raised in West Covina from the age of four. He joined the Ice Capades at 19 and traveled the world with them, until 1973 when he settled in Vancouver, Canada taking on sound and lighting for groups such as Heart and Tina Turner at the Oil Can Harry nightclub. Following this, he started one of the first mobile DJ businesses and grew that into Pro Sound and Stage Lighting, which this year, is celebrating its 40 year anniversary. Bill sold Pro Sound in 2005 and tried retiring but his entrepreneurial spirit would not allow him to. He met his wife, Sheri, in La Quinta in 2005 and three months later they were married. When they went to get their marriage license, the clerk said to Sheri, "He's never been married, never had kids?" and Bill's reply was always that he had been waiting for the best. About 5 minutes later the clerk's system crash and she joked that it was Bill's information that did it. In 2007 Bill and Sheri started Sheri Dettman & Associates and quickly became one of the top producing teams in the desert. Bill stayed behind the scenes and developed the state-of-the-art marketing that drives the business. Always ahead of the curve, he was the first to use drones to produce real video, with Sheri doing the narration. As one of Bill's friends recently said to Sheri, "Bill does the work of four people"! Bill was appreciated by his friends and associates for being so very generous and kind-hearted and for kick-starting so many people's careers. His honesty and integrity was no surprise to those who knew him. As his accountant said to Sheri, "Bill always did the right thing even if it meant that he wouldn't profit as much. He didn't even try to bend the rules. He was always honest." Bill loved to travel and he and Sheri enjoyed memorable trips to Italy especially. Bend, Oregon was another of their favorite places to visit in the summer. Bill and Sheri adopted two cats from the "orphanage" in Bend the year they were married and the kitties were always a source of joy to Bill. Many thanks to all of Bill's friends that came to see him and share with him how much they loved him. Up until the end Bill was giving fist bumps. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Perry & Evelyn Dettman and his sister, Sandy Tannahill. Survivors include his wife Sheri Dettman and his 7 nephews. A memorial service will be held this fall in La Quinta, CA. Memorial tributes can be made to an organization that Bill deeply believed in: http://agapechildrensvillage.com/ Bill was one of a kind and will be missed and remembered by everyone who came in contact with him.

Tributes

Mr. William Dettman

August 25, 2016