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FEARING, William E. Jr. INDIO, CA – William E. Fearing Jr., 77, formerly of Brisbane, CA, Oakland, CA, and Clinton, MA, passed away peacefully on Feb 7, 2022 at the Emerald Rose Garden Bed and Care Facility in Palm Desert, CA after a long battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Billy was born on April 5, 1944 to William and Marion (Sheridan) Fearing. He was predeceased by his parents, a sister who died in infancy, and his partner of 37 years, Christopher W. Prentice. He leaves behind his siblings Maureen E. (Fearing) Hardy of Lancaster, MA, Jack Fearing and his wife Nancy of Flemington, NJ, and Tom Fearing and his wife Audrey of Marlborough, MA; nephews and nieces Chuck Hardy, Jason Fearing and his wife Jessica, Alexa Fearing and her fiancé Chris Alberto and their son Jackson, and Taylor Fearing; his loyal and loving Rottweiler Zini, and a worldwide network of relatives and friends who will all miss him dearly. Billy truly lived a life worth living, filled with adventures around the world that left him with a vast group of friends everywhere he went. As the son of an Army veteran, Billy traveled extensively even as a youth, living in numerous places across the country as well as Germany and Japan, where he proudly graduated from Yokohama High School (YoHi) in 1963. He joined the Marines in 1964 and served in Vietnam onboard the USS Hancock and at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. After leaving the service, Billy continued to give back to his communities as a state trooper in MA, a member of the highway patrol in CA, and an officer in the San Francisco Police Department, eventually becoming a firefighter and paramedic in Brisbane, CA, where he served for 22 years until his retirement in 2002. Billy moved to the Palm Springs area following his retirement and immediately became involved as a first responder as well as training search and rescue dogs and seeing eye dogs. Billy was passionate about many things, particularly his Rottweilers, and for over 30 years he raised and doted on pairs of them, Zini being the last of a long line of loving companions. He was a great host and cook but was generally unable to make the same thing twice the same way or to give anyone a coherent recipe. The Thanksgiving turkey gravy recipe he concocted in Honolulu was particularly memorable. He regaled us all with stories of his adventures in Africa, Australia, and Asia, making us all want to experience those things ourselves. He treasured his "dog park friends" in Indio and cherished their weekly Sunday coffee and pastry gatherings at his home and later at his care facility. He was definitely one of a kind and will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. A freeing of his spirit, known in Africa as a Mudzimu, will be held next year on April 5, 2023 at Joshua Tree National Park, where his ashes will be spread along with those of his partner Chris. Our gratitude goes out to Julie Navarez and her staff at Emerald Rose Garden as well as good friend Paul Rada for the care and support they provided to Billy over these last few months. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to GuideDogs of the Desert in Palm Springs, CA.

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William Edward Fearing, Jr.

April 5, 1944 - February 7, 2022