William Dennis Detor

It comes with great sadness to share that William Dennis Detor passed away June 4, 2025 after a year-long battle with lung cancer. His decline happened quickly, but he was able to surround himself with loved ones in his final weeks. You may have known him as William, Bill, Billy, Papa Bill, Porkchop, Big Daddy, Google, or even Will if you ever had the pleasure of getting food to-go with him.

William was born on February 10, 1961 in Tucson, AZ to parents Evelyn Louise Dent Detor and William Rufus Detor. He is survived by his loving wife, Joleen; his daughters, Maddie and Savannah; his stepdaughters, Emily and Kaitlyn; and his granddaughters, Evelyn and Lucy, who always made their Papa Bill smile. He grew up with 3 siblings – Carol, Susan (deceased), and David – in the Winterhaven neighborhood in Tucson. As a child, everyone knew him as Billy. Billy was a hyper kid that always got into everything, including the household medicine cabinet. He loved to have a good time and may have even lit a firework inside a neighbor’s house once. As he got older, this did not change – Billy continued to be the funniest, loudest, and (he would say) smartest person in the room. He could talk anyone’s ear off. It doesn’t matter what he was talking about, or even if anyone was listening, and it was always something funny or something you didn’t know. He had an answer for everything and was filled with “fun facts.”

He attended the University of Arizona and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Writing, which makes sense given the aforementioned love of talking. He didn’t use this to establish a career in writing, but rather put those skills to use in the customer service and sales industries. He worked at several retailers over the years, primarily grocery stores and Target, until he established the career he would hold for the remainder of his life with Kellanova (formerly Kellogg’s), slinging Cheez-Its all around the greater Tucson area. Today would have been his 18th anniversary with the company.

In his spare time, Bill enjoyed spending time with his family, most notably his little dog, Sophie. He applied his impeccable music taste to any scenario from cleaning house to playing cards with his wife, daughters, and in-laws. He always wanted to hear the Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-Four" played on his birthday and he did achieve that goal.