William "Bill" H. Timme

Jan 7, 1943 -

Apr 9, 2021

On Friday, April 9, 2021, William "Bill" Timme, 78, passed away peacefully in his home in Anchorage, Alaska. He is survived by his wife, Denise; as well as by his children and their spouses, Laura and husband Carlos, Andrew and wife Becca and Matt and wife Kiera; and niece, Elizabeth and husband Hank. He will always be remembered with great love and affection as Paka to an entire generation of grandchildren: Katya, Miles, Maya, Wallis, Harrison, Valerie, Robert and William.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Noema Timme; and siblings, Kathryn and Robert; as well as by his late wife, Linda, mother of Andrew and Matt; and former wife, Carol, mother of Laura.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Bill graduated from Rice University in 1965, followed by Columbia University Law School in 1968. Shortly after graduating, he joined the recently created VISTA Volunteer Program and was placed as an attorney serving Alaska Legal Services Corporation in Fort Yukon, and later Ketchikan and Fairbanks. Bill went on to serve as general counsel for Doyon Ltd supporting them, along with numerous Village Corporations, through the implementation of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. For the next 40 years, Bill continued to counsel primarily Alaska Native Regional and Village Corporations on a broad range of issues through his own private practice in Anchorage, Middleton and Timme, and later, at Stoel Rives LLP.

In addition to being a dedicated lawyer, he was also a loving and supportive spouse, father and grandfather. Bill loved visiting his children and grandchildren across the country and developed quite the taste for Biscoff cookies at 30,000 feet. He found joy in browsing in bookstores, drinking his lattes with cinnamon, teasing his family members and providing love and support to the countless people his life touched.

Although Bill was always modest about his contributions, he will be remembered for his deep generosity and for his strong dedication and commitment to supporting Native communities throughout Alaska.

A virtual memorial service will be held in his honor on Saturday, May 15, 2021, at 1 p.m., through Janssen Funeral Homes in Anchorage. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only a limited number of close family and friends will gather in person, however interested parties are invited to join the online service by accessing the zoom link posted on Bill's tribute page www.gatheringus.com/memorial/william-bill-timme/7256. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill's honor to Alaska Legal Services Corporation or the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.