"Coach" Bill Harding, age 89, passed away on May 2 in Springfield, Missouri. He was born the son of Fay and Frona Harding in Nixa, Missouri, January 4, 1933.

Bill's immediate family had actually been losing him for decades, however. They'd lose him on the way to a table at a restaurant, on the way to the river, somewhere between Sunday school and the main service: Bill never met a stranger and was apt to stop in conversation with anyone nearby. So the constant question "where did Bill go?" was answered by backtracking to find him in happy conversation with someone. We're not actually sure he's really gone this time. Maybe he found someone on the way to his funeral and is chatting them up right now.

A lifelong man of faith, Bill served myriad positions within the Church, most recently a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church. We are sure the loquacious Bill well-knew Proverbs 25:11 — "a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."

He was preceded in death by son Timothy, sister Clara Gardner (Jack Gardner), and nephew Ron Gardner.

Bill is survived by: his loving wife of 67 years, Louise. They met at Drury College in 1953 and "oh, you should've seen her in that drum majorette's uniform," he'd reminisce. He is also survived by sons Gregory and Christopher (Vicki Henry); daughter Tamra Blades (Skip Blades); grandchildren Alexandra Harding McDermott (Matthew McDermott), Julian Harding, Brenden Blades, and Elle Blades; great-grandchildren Finley and August McDermott; plus nieces, nephews, and cousins. It was one of those feisty youngsters who decided Bill should have a rapper's name and started calling him G-Pa.

As the old African proverb says, "when an old man dies, a library burns to the ground." Bill was our family library. He had all the stories. So many stories. We are richer for all the memories he shared, and for the way our memories of him live on in the stories we remember.

We invite you to share your memories of "Coach" with us. An informal, brief memorial service will be held at 5:00 PM on Saturday, June 11, at the O'Reilly Family Event Center (935 N. Summit Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802). Visitation will immediately follow.