William "Bill" Telfer

Born on June 15, 1949 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, William Laurie Telfer, Jr. was the son of Dr. William L. and Gayle Griese Telfer. William (Bill) spent his childhood in Ann Arbor, Toledo, Ohio, and Waterloo, Iowa before graduating from West Waterloo High School in 1967.

As a senior, Bill was a captain of his football team and wrestled at varsity heavyweight for the high school state championship team. He liked to joke that he “never graduated high school” because he missed the graduation ceremony due to illness. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA in 1971.

In the years following, Bill contributed to construction projects across the country, and in 1978, he began his 40-year career in Investment Tax Credit/Cost Segregation. In 2001, Bill decided to start his own business, Bald Eagle Cost Segregations (BECS). BECS thrived until his retirement in 2017. Although he acknowledged the risk of owning his own company, he would frequently say that having his own business was the best thing he ever did for his career.

Bill was a devoted runner. He completed numerous marathons and triathlons, but after his heart surgery in 2012, he ran as an arm of the Treasury- slowly cruising roads and byways, surveying the ground to find and recycle those “lost” coins.

He loved sports almost as much as he loved his sons. His years of playing evolved into coaching and cheering on the sidelines, as well as taking his kids to games and comparing sports trivia knowledge around the dinner table. For many years, his free time was spent filling coolers, moving podiums, driving trucks, and encouraging young people in soccer teams, marching bands, and church choir tours. His generosity of spirit earned him friends everywhere he went - he always had time to stop for a chat or to lend a helping hand.

Bill is survived by his wife of 47 years, Rebecca, his children, William III (Jean) and Michael (Mekensey), his grandchildren, Preston, Reese, and Charlotte, as well as his siblings, Robert (Barbara) and Mary.

A small family service and inurnment will be held in Plano, Texas at Custer Road United Methodist Church. Details regarding a public celebration of his life will follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research ( https://www.michaeljfox.org/ ) or CRUMC Youth Choir.