William Owen Durham

William Owen Durham - Bill Durham passed away at his residence on September 13th, 2007 at the age of 78 surrounded by loving family. He was born in Long Beach in 1929 as an only child to Owen & Fern Durham. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Durham, and his children, Dirk Durham, Sonna Torrens, Bryce Durham, Melinda Durham and Dixi Durham, and daughter-in-law, Viva Durham, and son-in-law, Chad Taylor. His grandchildren are Brittney, Cody, Tessa, Dustin, Ruby and Ashton. He was preceded in death by his parents and his granddaughter Madeline. Billâ??s youth was spent between small oil towns surrounding Los Angeles and the family farm his father had purchased in Petaluma in 1926. Billâ??s parents encouraged his artistic gifts and enrolled him in a special school for young artists at the age of 8. He was a voracious reader, an imaginative artist and storyteller, and a great conversationalist. In 1950, Bill was shipped overseas to serve in the Korean War, First Cavalry Division. He was awarded a Purple Heart after being shot through the hand and below the eye in an especially ferocious assault where many of the members of his company were wounded or killed. He also spent a year serving in the Japanese Occupation Army. A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, September 17th, at PARENT SORENSEN MORTUARY AND CREMATORY, 850 Keokuk St., Petaluma. The family suggests any memorial contributions go to Hospice of Petaluma, 416 Payran St., Petaluma, CA 94952 or The Carousel Fund, 17 Buckeye Ct., Petaluma, CA 94952 Bill came home to find he was surrounded by family and friends who felt uncomfortable discussing the war and for a time, lost his artistic way. He instead became an electrician, which afforded him a nice living, security and the ability to support a family. He traveled much in his twenties and thirties, although his wanderlust only confirmed what he had always known â?? that Northern California was the most beautiful place in the world. When Bill retired, he returned to the artistic endeavors and construction projects that he loved. In 1992, he began his lengthy labor of love, a book entitled â??From Kitty Hawk to the Moonâ?