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William Bryan “Bill” Sheets, 91, of Cody, Wyoming, died after a brief illness on June 22, 2025. A loving great-grandfather, grandfather, father and friend, Bill will always be remembered for his kind and faithful service to others, his incredible mind for anything mechanical and his one-of-a-kind smile.
Bill was born in Traverse City, Michigan, on Sept. 30, 1933, to John Austin Sheets and Mina Anderson Sheets. After his primary and secondary education and with an early aptitude for mechanics, Bill joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953 as an instructor in aircraft radar gun control systems maintenance. While at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, Bill attended Basic Electronics School, B-47 Fire Control System Maintenance School and Air Force Instructor School. Later, he wrote the training materials for the B-52 Fire Control System Maintenance. Bill was always proud that one of his students, Walley Schirra, later became one of the country’s first astronauts. Additionally, Bill was involved in building the Wyoming State Korean War Memorial and in establishing the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Park in Cody.
He left the service in 1957 to attend Sheridan College where he got an associates degree in Agriculture. He then moved to Laramie to attend the University of Wyoming, where he received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural education, followed by a Ph.D. in agronomy-water resource management. From 1968-1973 he was an instructor of agriculture at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, where he later served on the board of trustees from 1988-2004 and the foundation board of directors from 1996-2008. He also worked in agribusiness, marketing and research development for Nielson Enterprises Co. from 1973-1983. Bill was the state water commissioner from 1984-1988 and was the founder, manager and chief operator of Northwest Rural Water District, also serving as the president of the board of directors there. He was also the president of the Shoshone Municipal Pipeline for two years, along with being a board member there from 1993-2003.
Bill was an active member of the Cody Lions Club from 1975 until he passed, championing Lionism for many decades. He was always raising his hand to volunteer. He was president of the club during the 1979-1980 term, received a Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, was instrumental in creating the Lions Turkey Day and vehicle giveaway and served as the chief mechanic, driver and caretaker of Old Yeller, the 1917 White brand Yellowstone bus that is a fixture in the July 4 parade in Cody.
Bill married Ethel Wood of Sheridan in 1954. They had three children, Cindy Mattson, Philip Sheets and Mina Couture. In 1980, he married Ann Miller of Cody and acquired daughters Cheryl, Debbie, Lisa and Linda. He later had a 20-year loving relationship with his life partner Alice Frosheiser of Cody until she passed in 2022. He maintained daily contact with her daughter, Stacie Brault, until the day he passed.
Bill is survived by his three children, Cindy (Ron Knapp) Mattson, Philip (Toby) Sheets and Mina (Dave) Couture, his seven grandchildren, Janae (Ryan) Williamson, Sonya (Whit) McLeod, Stephanie (Joel) Proffit, Nichelle (Chad) Joiner, Skylar (Katie) Sheets, Eric Briggs, Brit Briggs and his 12 great-grandchildren, Elijah, Savanna, Caleb, Fisher, Cole, Daniel, Kimber, Sydney, Cedar, Chloe, Lillie and Scottie. He was preceded in death by his parents John Austin Sheets and Mina Anderson Sheets, his late wife Ann Sheets, his brother Jack Sheets and his life partner Alice Frosheiser.
A service to celebrate Bill's life will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Ballard Funeral Home. All are welcome to attend. www.BallardFH.com
